Search results for ""The History Press""

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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This warm and nostalgic collection of memories reveals the fascinating history of North and South Ockendon before, during and after the Second World War. The 1930s saw great change in South Ockendon as London Land Company, London County Council and Essex County Council began buying up land belonging to the Belhus estate and, after the Second World War, rehousing families from London whose homes had been destroyed by the Blitz. Life also changed for the inhabitants of North Ockendon, as the old ways of farming were replaced by modern machinery, with jobs disappearing and village life diminishing. Horses practically vanished from the area and rows of green vegetables were replaced by wheat, barley and rape. Those who live and have lived in the area reminisce about their childhoods, creating a valuable historical record of Ockendon heritage which will bring back poignant memories to all who have connections with the area.

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The First World War is famous for the unprecedented loss of life on a global scale; it was a conflict that affected the world forever. However, it wasn’t only in terms of bloodshed that the war rocked the nation: it also massively impacted the industrial integrity of Britain. This was a war not just of fighting, but of technological and industrial advances. All areas of industry, from aviation to food production, leapt ahead in terms of development over the four-year period: from the Wright Brothers in 1903 to the Sopwith Camel in 1917, and from the first motorcars to the tank within twenty years. On a social level, working Britain experienced change as well: with the men at war, it fell to the women of the country to keep the factories going, challenging preconceptions as they did. Here Anthony Burton shows how the First World War produced fundamental changes in British society.

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Home to the UK’s largest refinery, Fawley is among the most at-risk parts of the country for petrochemical fires. Its fire service is vital to the area’s infrastructure and its firefighters must always be prepared. For the first time, the story of this fire station and of the Waterside’s private and military fire brigades is told. From establishment in the early twentieth century, through the development of the fire engine and firefighting techniques, to combating modern-day terrorist threats, Fawley’s firefighters have witnessed it all. This book looks at how the station and its crew, now reduced from full- to part-time staffing, have evolved in the face of new dangers and challenges.

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This is the ultimate quiz book on Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. An ideal gift for Owls fans of all ages, this is your chance to interact with the club’s long and eventful history, from its formation and early successes to more recent glory and cult heroes. Informative and fun, it is the perfect companion for those long match-day trips up, down and across the country or for simply testing you and your mates’ knowledge of our illustrious club. From the obscure to the frivolous, the book is packed with 30 themed rounds of questions designed to entertain and amuse all Owls supporters. So get your Wednesday thinking caps on – it’s quiz time!

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The President who ‘freed’ the slaves and held the Union together in the face of the slaveholding South’s bid to create a separate Confederacy. The teller of ribald stories, and the author of the most sublime speeches in the English language. A clever, complex, secretive man who rose from frontier obscurity to become the central figure at the moment when the United States of America came close to disintegration.Was Lincoln the ‘Great Emancipator’, whose wartime leadership helped free four million enslaved people? Or was he a nationalist who jumped late on the antislavery bandwagon? Was his intransigence the cause of much bloodshed? Or was he a pragmatist whose leadership minimised the destruction of the war?This concise biography situates Lincoln in his time and place. A very human figure who, after his assassination by a leading Shakespearean actor, was turned into an icon.

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This is the story of 61-year-old Mildred Aldrich and her experiences of the Great War. She retired to a small hill-top house called La Creste in February 1914, with views across the Marne river and valley, little realising she would become embroiled in the first major battle of the war. In spite of the danger she decided to stay and help the British soldiers. Her home was for a few days behind German lines but the British pushed the Germans into retreat and La Creste remained in British territory for the duration. They entrenched in the Marne Valley and Mildred's 'beloved panorama' as she described the view, turned into the valley of horror and death. Informed by journalist Mildred's unpublished journals and voices of those serving in the BEF, along with historical military background, this book examines events from the unique perspective of a remarkable woman who lived through them.

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In the quest to uncover our family history, we turn to written records, the family album and even heirlooms. However, they can often be difficult to interpret and sometimes pose more questions than they answer: Why didn’t my ancestors smile for the camera? Why did great-grandfather wear a beard while his sons were clean-shaven? Why is my great-grandmother holding flowers in this photograph? Drawing on evidence from social history, women’s history, and the histories of photography, art and fashion, and using examples from the lowly as well as the famous, Ruth Symes explores many aspects of ordinary life in the past – from the state of the nation’s teeth, to the legal and economic connotations of wearing a wedding ring and even the business of keeping a dog. This fascinating volume aims to help family historians get to know their elusive ancestors by deciphering the wealth of personal and historical clues contained in photographs, documents and artefacts.

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Beyond the Legend is the authorised biography of William (Bill) Speakman,who was awarded one of only four Victoria Crosses for action in the Korean War. It covers his sometimes controversial life, from his childhood in Altrincham, Cheshire, to his later life in South Africa – about which little has been known previously. Authors Derek Hunt and John Mulholland also explore the myth of the ‘beer bottle VC’ (in which Speakman was said to have fended off the Chinese Communist Army by throwing empty beer bottles at them after they ran out of grenades), bringing to light what really happened on United Hill in November 1951. Speakman held the attacking Chinese army at bay for over four hours and led a final charge that allowed his company to withdraw from the hill. After Korea, he saw active service in Malaya, Borneo and Aden before retiring from the army, with the rank of sergeant, in 1968. Bill Speakman is one of only two surviving VC holders of the British Army and a true British hero.

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H.L. Oakley was one of the most talented and prolific silhouette artists of the twentieth century. Despite his fame, he was determined to enlist and play his part in fighting for his country in the First World War. He joined up in the summer of 1914, but continued to create arresting images, including one of the most famous recruiting posters of the day, that was used not only across Britain, but in Australia, South Africa and Canada. He served with the Green Howards and continued throughout his military career to create silhouettes of the front, from famous officers to the men in the trenches, capturing the imagination of those back home and his illustrations became a regular feature alongside the famous cartoonists of the day in ‘The Bystander’ magazine. These quirky, charming and powerful silhouettes show life on the frontline during the Great War in a whole new light.

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In the lead up to and throughout the course of the Second World War, London was a city transformed, as it simultaneously became the front line and the command centre of Allied operations. The scale and speed of London’s transformation are unparalleled in its history as the government requisitioned buildings and built defences while bombing wrought devastation across the city, changing it forever. This book will guide the reader – as an armchair tourist or a real one – around wartime London. Buildings that had a specific wartime use or have a link to an important event that occurred during the war are revealed, along with the often secret activities, known to only a select few, of the organisations that occupied them. Structures used as air-raid shelters, iconic landmarks damaged by enemy bombing and other ways in which London changed are all brought to life in this user-friendly guide. Sections cover the seven central London boroughs, from Hammersmith to Tower Hamlets, together with chapters on Greater London and on memorials and museums, accompanied by maps and photographs of the city then and now.

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Jack the Ripper was the slayer of at least five female victims in London's East End, but his legacy left many more victims in its wake than he could have ever imagined. From the Royal Family and the British Government to the London Police and minority groups, the list of ‘other’ victims that were created as a direct result of the Jack the Ripper murders goes on and on. Following the success of their first book, the authors from The Whitechapel Society have compiled this ultimate force in Ripper research, in which each group is looked at in detail. The authors are veteran Ripper chroniclers, familiar with the highways and byways of the Ripper road map. They share the principle that in all the plethora of commentaries about the Whitechapel Murderer, there are many categories of victim apart from the five women slain in the streets in the autumn of 1888.

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The story so far. Manchester City end the 2003-04 season relieved at having narrowly escaped relegation. There’ve been highs and lows, but the lows have been desperate and the highs restricted to minor triumphs of promotions and occasional derby wins. Meaningful silverware hasn’t been delivered since 1976. Kevin Keegan looks like he’s lost the will to live, let alone manage City, and the transfer kitty is bare. Eight years later, they’ve won the Premier League in the final seconds of the most dramatic match in the history of football. From Balti Pies to The Biggest Prize relives the journey from perpetual also-rans to champions, from laughing stocks to a team to be feared, fuelled by the injection of unimaginable finance. The money has changed the calibre of the team on the field but how much has it changed its fanbase, its culture, its soul? Steve Mingle’s book gives a unique perspective on exactly how it feels to be City today.

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Who were the men who commanded the British Army in the numerous small wars of the Victorian Empire? Today, many are all but forgotten, save the likes of Cardigan, Kitchener, Baden-Powell and Gordon of Khartoum. Yet they were a disparate and fascinating assemblage, made up of men of true military genius, as well as egoists, fools and despots. In Warriors of the Queen, William Wright surveys over 170 of these men, examining their careers and personalities. He reveals not only the lives of the great military names of the period but also of those whom history has overlooked, from James ‘Buster’ Browne, who once fought a battle in his nightshirt, to Jack Bisset, who had fought in three South African wars by his twenty-third birthday. Based on original research and complemented by over sixty photographs, Warriors of the Queen provides new insight into the men who built (and sometimes endangered) the British Empire on the battlefield.

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This book draws upon the varied history and unique heritage of the County Palatine of Durham, an ancient land of saints and warlords. It is a catalogue of curious tales, odd anecdotes and quirky characters from County Durham’s past. Within its pages the reader will discover stories of hauntings, murders and mysterious deaths, while modern-day enigmas – such as the ancient structure that archaeologists remain at a loss to explain, or the lost treasure found at the bottom of the River Wear – are revisited. Inspired in part by the chronicles and compendiums of County Durham’s nineteenth-century historians and antiquarians, this book is a miscellany – at times tragic, at times comic, but always entertaining. And for those for whom the collective subjects hold a perennial fascination, it is ideal for dipping into, perhaps to learn something new about wonderfully curious County Durham.

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At the nationalisation of Britian’s railways in 1948, the railways in the north-east of England had been placed within the North Eastern Region of British Railways, and had been given a distinctive orange corporate colour. It was with some shock that late in 1966 it was announced that from January 1967, the North Eastern Region would lose its autonomy and be merged with the Eastern Region. This book shows diesel traction at work within the North Eastern Region up to its demise in December 1966 and afterwards as part of the enlarged Eastern Region. A broad range of diesel engines can be seen in this book, which takes a chronological approach to documenting the day-to-day activity of the area’s rail network.

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The Great War 1914−1918 was dubbed the ‘war to end all wars’ and introduced the full flowering of industrial warfare to the world. The huge enthusiasm which had greeted the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 soon gave way to a grim resignation and, as the Western Front became a long, agonising battle of dire attrition, revulsion. Never before had Britain's sons and daughters poured out their lifeblood in such prolonged and seemingly incessant slaughter. The conflict produced a large corpus of war poetry, though focus to date has rested with the ‘big’ names − Brooke, Sassoon, Graves, Owen, Rosenberg and Blunden et al – with their descent from youthful enthusiasm to black cynicism held as a mirror of the nation’s journey. Their fame is richly merited, but there are others that, until now, you would not expect to find in any Great War anthology. This is ‘Tommy’ verse, mainly written by other ranks and not, as is generally the case with the more famous war poets, by officers. It is, much of it, doggerel, loaded with lavatorial humour. Much of the earlier material is as patriotic and sentimental as the times, jingoistic and occasionally mawkish. However, the majority of the poems in this collection have never appeared in print before; they have been unearthed in archives, private collections and papers. Their authors had few pretences, did not see themselves as poets, nor were writing for fame and posterity. Nonetheless, these lost voices of the Great War have a raw immediacy, and an instant connection that the reader will find compelling.

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The paranormal history of High Wycombe is brought vividly to life in this, the first dedicated guide to the haunted and mysterious sites of this Buckinghamshire town. Writer, photographer and psychical researcher Eddie Brazil brings together a chilling collection of supernatural experiences, ranging from Hughenden Manor, where the ghost of Benjamin Disraeli walks the corridors, to the phantom horseman of Penn village, the sinister Woman in Black at Burleighfield House, and the troubled shade of The George Inn. Here there are haunted roads, cellars, railway lines, woods, caves and buildings, both ancient and modern, where a host of ghostly denizens from the compelling and chilling world of the supernatural draw disturbingly close to the living. Richly illustrated and full of first-hand accounts, this book will fascinate everyone with an interest in the unexplained.

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This new book is a remarkable and moving account of life on the home front in Manchester during the Second World War. Based on transcripts of recorded interviews with senior civilians and former members of the Armed Services, this is an invaluable first-hand record of what it was like to live under the shadow of war. The everyday hardships and heroism are recalled: the Blitz, rationing, the Home Guard, evacuees, war work, and the American presence prior to D-Day. Despite all the tragedy and difficulties, the Mancunian spirit shines through with frequent dashes of unquenchable humour. Richly illustrated, and filled with true narratives of the courage and unbreakable spirit of the people of Manchester during those tumultuous years, this book looks at how the city fared during the Second World War, played her part in victory, and how the day-to-day life of her people was affected.

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From May 1940 the Children’s Overseas Reception Board began to move children to safety abroad to Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand. The scheme was extremely popular, and over 200,000 applications were made within just four months. In addition, thousands of children were privately evacuated overseas. The ‘sea-vacs’, as they became known, had a variety of experiences. After weeks at sea they began a new life thousands of miles away. Letters home took up to twelve weeks to reach their destinations and many of these children were totally cut off from their families in the UK. Most found their new way of life to be a positive one in which they were well cared for; for others it was a miserable, difficult or frightening time as they encountered homesickness, prejudice and even abuse. This book reveals in heartbreaking detail the unique experiences of sea-vacs, and their surprising influence on international wartime policy, used as they were as an attempt to elicit international sympathy and financial support for the British war effort.

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In 1903 the Wright Brothers achieved their dream of powered flight and from then on man’s domination of the skies became a reality. The military potential of aircraft was obvious from the outset, first as a way of spying on the enemy with reconnaissance planes and balloons armed with early cameras, and then as a way of taking the battle into the skies, as planes became weapons of war. In Britain these early days of military aviation were pioneered by a group of enthusiastic civilians and military men who were based at Lark Hill, Wiltshire where the rolling plains became ideal flying grounds. Here, the first military aviation base came into existence. Flying with the Larks charts its early days and its influence on First World War aviation.

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Did you know that Winston Churchill narrowly avoided assassination in the Second World War? Or that Prince Albert helped Britain avoid war with the United States in the nineteenth century from his deathbed? In this riveting read, James Moore and Paul Nero reveal fifty of history’s most dramatic narrow escapes. From wars that were averted to invasions, revolutions and apocalyptic scenarios that we avoided by the skin of our teeth, History's Narrowest Escapes chronicles such stories as how a Soviet Army colonel stopped the Third World War in 1983, and how Nelson’s heroics at The Battle of Trafalgar might never have happened if it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of a humble seaman eight years before. Full of fascinating little-known facts, heroic acts, daring deeds and stories of serendipity, this book reveals how our history could have been very different… and possibly much worse!

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‘Curious’ is perhaps not the first word you would use to label Essex. But ‘curiouser and curiouser’ it becomes when you dig below the surface. Forget the popular image of Essex boy and girl. Come and meet larger-than-life characters, including the one-time fattest man in England, whose waist was wider than the height of an average man. And talking of big, discover the origin of children's favourite Humpty Dumpty. Did you know that explorer David Livingstone, who trekked across Africa, got lost in Essex; that Essex villain Dick Turpin was only identified because a relative refused to pay the cost of a ‘stamp’, or that St George saw off his dragon here? Shocking, creepy and bizarre tales abound if you dig a little deeper. And if you literally look below the surface in Essex - 100ft underground to be precise - you’ll discover one of the most incredible Government ‘secrets’ of all time.

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In June 1918, 135 teenagers arrived in France as part of the thousands sent to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. The German Spring offensive had failed, but it was far from over. The coming months would see some of the fiercest, bloodiest, yet least remembered fighting of the war as these young men finally broke the trench stalemate and forced the enemy into retreat. During this time, one in four of these teenaged soldiers would be killed and over half of them wounded. Looking beyond the war as portrayed by poets and playwrights, Tim Lynch tells the story of Britain’s true Unknown Soldiers – the teenage conscripts who won the war only to be forgotten by history. These were not the naïve recruits of 1914 who believed it would all be over by Christmas, but young men who had grown up in wartime – men who knew about the trenches, the gas and the industrialised slaughter, but who, when their time came, answered their country’s call anyway. For the first time, following the experiences of a typical reinforcement draft, this book explores what turned men so often dismissed as ‘shirkers’ into a motivated, efficient and professional army, but it also reminds us that in the cemeteries of France and Flanders, behind every headstone is a personal story.

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The mettle of the famous First Household Cavalry Regiment was tested to the maximum in action in the mountains of Italy in 1943–44. This book explores a largely undervalued and forgotten part of a costly and complex struggle. We directly experience what it was like to be there through the words of those who were. In late 1943 1st HCR was sent to Syria to patrol the Turko-Syrian border, it being feared that Turkey would join the Axis powers. In April 1944, 1st HCR was shipped to Italy. The Italian campaign was at that time well underway. During the summer of 1944, 1st HCR were in action near Arezzo and in the advance to Florence in a reconnaissance role, probing enemy positions, patrolling constantly. The Regiment finally took part in dismounted actions in the Gothic Line – the German defensive system in Northern Italy. Based upon interviews with the few survivors still with us and several unpublished diaries, there are many revelations that will entertain – and some that will shock. The 1st Household Cavalry 1943–44 is published on the 70th anniversary of the actions described, as a tribute to the fighting force made up from the two most senior regiments of the British Army and, in the words of His Grace the Duke of Wellington who has kindly provided the foreword, ‘to gain insight into why such a war should never be fought again’.

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Objects allow us to reach out and touch the past and they play a living role in history today. Through them we can understand the experience of men and women during the First World War. They bear witness to the stories of men whose only morning comfort in the trenches was the rum ration, children who grew up with only one photograph of the father that they would never get to know, women who would sacrifice their girlhood in hospitals yards from the frontline, pinning a brooch on to remind themselves of a past life. Weapons like the machine gun and vehicles like the tank that transformed the battlefield; planes that had barely learnt to be flown entangled in dogfights far above the barbed wire of the frontline; German submarines that stalked shipping across the seas. Through these incredible artefacts, Peter Doyle tells the story of the First World War in a whole new light.

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What turns an ordinary man into an extraordinary one? The answer lies in the stories of six teenage volunteers for Second World War aircrew who exchanged school uniform for Air Force Blue and took a giant step into the unknown. Based on original research from flying log books, diaries and family archives, this collection of true tales describes the men’s training for those coveted ‘Wings’; the nervous excitement of that first sortie over enemy territory; and flying into the hell of an enemy flak barrage and fighters. From the skies over Europe to jungles and deserts, all endured hardship, adventure and danger. They experienced action under enemy fire, wounds, burns and crash-landings, escape and evasion in occupied territory, and the privations of life as a POW. Seventy years on and these brushes with death are by any measure hair-raising encounters that turned adolescents into men – some of whom survived the war, while others paid the ultimate price.

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Piltdown. Even today the name sends a shiver down the collective spine of the scientific community, for this was the most dramatic and daring fraud ever perpetrated upon the world of science and academia. Between 1908 and 1912, a series of amazing discoveries relating to what appeared to be the earliest human were made close to the little village of Piltdown in Sussex. These remains belonged to the developmental ‘missing link’ between man and ape. The basic principles of evolution, first propounded by Charles Darwin some fifty years before, now appeared as indisputable fact. The Manchester Guardian ran the first headline: ‘THE EARLIEST MAN?: REMARKABLE DISCOVERY IN SUSSEX. A SKULL MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD’ it screamed, adding that the discovery was ‘one of the most important of our time’. The news spread quickly around the world, with many voicing their eagerness to examine the find. Few archaeological discoveries have the capacity to be front-page news twice over, but ‘Piltdown Man’ is a rare exception. Forty-one years after he first became famous, the ‘Earliest Englishman’ was again hot news. It was late November 1953, and the world was about to discover that Piltdown Man had been a hoax. Not just any hoax mind, the London Star declared it to be ‘THE BIGGEST SCIENTIFIC HOAX OF THE CENTURY’.

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Black Death! The horrors of the plague in Camden! My wife is under the floor! The true story of Camden murderer Doctor Crippen! The elephant stampede! Weird accidents and strange events galore! Camden has a dark side to rival that of any London borough. The haunt of highwaymen, its fields also witnessed numerous duels. Crime, poverty and depravity were rife in parts of Holborn until the late nineteenth century. The first murderer to be caught using the transatlantic cable lived in Camden, and the last woman to be hanged shot her lover outside a Hampstead pub. With grave-robbers and grisly graveyard exhumations, eccentric residents and rioting peasants, and featuring tons of weird true events, you’ll never see the borough in the same way again!

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This fascinating book, enriched by archive photographs from private collections, contains a terrifying assortment of true-life tales from Hertford and its surrounding villages. Featuring stories of unexplained phenomena, phantoms and poltergeists – including a blood-soaked policewoman seen in a mirror, the numerous ghosts of Haileybury College, and spectral Cromwellian soldiers – discover what lurks in the shadows of this historically rich county town. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, and accounts which have never before been published, Haunted Hertford is sure to enthral everyone interested in the supernatural history of the area.

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Following the disruption, hardship and challenges of the Second World War, the post-war years brought a sense of optimism and excitement, with families at last enjoying peacetime. This new book follows the lives of the nation’s schoolchildren through the two decades following the war years, recalling what it was like for those experiencing the creation of a new school system; a system underpinned by the introduction of the 11 plus exam and the provision of free secondary education for all. Combining personal reminiscences with a lively description of what was going on in the wider world of British education, Simon Webb provides a vivid and entertaining picture of school life during in the 1940s and ’50s which is sure to bring back nostalgic memories for all who remember the best days of their lives.

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Presenting an account of the part played by Britain's railways during the Second World War, this book deals with operational matters and the impact of enemy action on railways. It also looks at financial arrangements, the part played by railway workshops in producing equipment for the military, and the wartime experience of the railways' ships.

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Do motorists pick up a phantom hitchhiker on Blue Bell Hill during stormy nights? Does Satan appear if you dance round the Devil's Bush in the village of Pluckley? Do big cats roam the local woods? And what happens if you manage to count the 'Countless Stones' near Aylesford? For centuries strange urban legends have materialised in the Garden of England. Now, for the first time, folklorist and monster-hunter Neil Arnold looks at these intriguing tales, strips back the layers, and reveals if there is more to these Chinese whispers than meets the eye. Folklore embeds itself into a local community, often to the extent that some people believe all manner of mysteries and take them as fact. Whether they’re stories passed around the school playground, through the internet, or round a flickering campfire, urban legends are everywhere. Kent Urban Legends is a quirky and downright spooky ride into the heart of Kent folklore.

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In 1963 Dr Beeching’s infamous report signalled the end for over 15,000 miles of track, a third of Britain’s stations, and for 70,000 jobs, as well as making irrevocable changes to the way of life of many consumers. Much misery was caused and Beeching’s name was muddied, but in hindsight the report probably did more than any other single factor to preserve the nation’s railway heritage. Without the Beeching cuts, much of the locomotives, stock, tracks, signals and signs would have crumbled, been forgotten or rotted. However, the gentle railway gradients lend themselves perfectly to walkways and cycle paths; buildings have been refurbished; memorabilia now commands prices at auction which would astonish those who painted the metal. And of course, the heritage lines continue to draw many thousands of visitors each year. After the initial shock of the cuts, this fresh appraisal considers these benefits and more, which may not have come about without the Beeching Report.

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Following the extraordinary career of a Second World War bomber pilot, Flying Among Heroes brings together adventure and human daring with the harsh realities of being a member of the wartime Royal Air Force. Tom Cooke, like hundreds of other young men in 1939, joined up to the RAF just a few days before war began aged 18, being selected for pilot training. Just five years later, he had flown fifty-one operations, taken part in the Berlin bombings and three 1,000-bomber raids, and had even taken part in special operations in conjunction with the SOE. Not only did Cooke volunteer for an optional second and third tour of operations, but he was also shot down over France on his thirteenth special operation, survived the bale out with his crew and evaded capture. Helped by the French Resistance, he managed to make his way into Spain and was taken back to England from Gibraltar. Unsurprisingly, considering Cooke’s outstanding bravery and patriotism, he was decorated multiple times in his career. Franks and Muggleton make use of primary documentation, including Cooke’s own words, and contemporary images to put together a poignant story of wartime duty. In an effort to portray the situation for many young men like Cooke, much information is included on other squadrons and operations, as well as on Bomber Command itself. In all, 55,000 men of Bomber Command gave their lives to the cause of the Second World War; this is the tale of just one of those remarkable young men who survived the hardships of war, returning victorious to a nation of heroes.

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Taking you through the year day by day, The London Book of Days contains quirky, eccentric, amusing and important events and facts from different periods of history, many of which had a major impact on the religious and political history of Britain as a whole. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive little book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from the vaults of London’s archives, it will delight residents and visitors alike.

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Many books have been produced which detail the lives and thoughts of famous individuals. A View from the Wings is unique, recalling a wartime boyhood in which aircraft flying constantly overhead played a large part. This experience led to a lifetime career in the aviation industry both in the UK and overseas such as the US and South Africa. Mixed with events of a more personal nature often coated with whimsical humour, the author has evocatively captured the rise and demise of Britain’s aircraft industry in the post-war period. In setting out to be non-technical, A View from the Wings will appeal to those whose memories embrace the sound barrier-breaking years and the leap of faith and technology that saw Concorde defeat the Americans in the race to produce a practical supersonic airliner. All too often political procurement and technical failures have made for dramatic headlines and these too are subjected to much critical comments. Think of the critically acclaimed Empire of the Clouds (Faber and Faber, 2010), but instead of a boyhood observer, the author was an active part of the British aviation industry in its former prime and eventual implosion.

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An army marches on its stomach and it fights on its stomach too – yet have you ever wondered how hundreds of men on the frontline are fed amidst hails of bullets and how kitchens are created in the desert or in the trench lines? In 1941 the army officially created the Army Catering Corps and opened the Army School of Cookery in Aldershot (to be followed by other schools all over the world, including Poona, India). Troops were trained to make meals out of the bare minimum of ingredients, to feed a company of men from only a mess tin and cook curries to feed hundreds only yards from the frontline. This book tells the story of how soldiers became army cooks, their training and in the frontline kitchen. Frontline Cooking also brings together recipes from the Second World War, including hand-written notes from troops fighting in the Middle East, India and all over Europe. Many recipes are illustrated with cartoons and drawings on how to assemble the perfect oven and kitchen tools at a moment’s notice from nothing. This book is the perfect inspiration for those who like to create an amazing meal anywhere, anytime, from anything.

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From Gower to Flintoff, Waugh to Vaughan, Cronje to Pietersen, Paul Nixon has shared a dressing room with some of the most evocative names in international and domestic cricket – and often enraged them on the field of play. The wicketkeeper, known as his sport’s most prolific ‘sledger’, has amassed more than 20 years of stories from his career at the heart of the game and now reveals them in typically outspoken style. From ‘Fredalo’ to match-fixing, Nixon has experienced some of the most notorious episodes in cricket history, possesses strident opinions on the game and has a track record of success in the English first-class game and the Twenty20 revolution. With an accent on off-the-field anecdotes, Nixon also lays bare the personality that led the Australian legend Steve Waugh to compare him to: ‘a mosquito buzzing around in the night, that needs to be swatted but always escapes.’

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Discover the shadier side of York’s history with this remarkable collection of true-life crimes from across the city. Featuring all factions of the criminal underworld, this macabre selection of tales includes murders, poisonings, poaching, theft and highway robbery and also details the gruesome punishments that awaiting the perpetrators of such crimes. Drawing on a wide variety of historical sources and containing many cases which have never before been published, York Murders will fascinate everyone interested in true crime and the history of the city.

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This is not a guidebook. This little book brings together past and present to offer a taste of Southampton. Learn about the movers and shakers who shaped this fantastic town. The great and the good; the bad and the ugly. Small wonders, tall stories, triumph and tragedy. Best places – worst places. Origins, evolution, future. Written by a local who knows what makes Southampton tick.

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