Search results for ""the history press""

It was in 1911, on a beach by the North Sea, that Robert Blackburn's Second Monoplane made its first successful flight. By 1914, the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co Ltd had been formed, based in Leeds, and had taken its place in the ranks of the British aircraft industry. By the time the First World War ended, Blackburns had become a major supplier of aircraft for the armed forces, particularly those associated with the sea. In the inter-war years, the company's activities were gradually transformed to its erstwhile seaplane base at Brough, on the Humber, where its great three-engined flying boats mingled with Fleet Air Arm Darts, Baffins and Sharks on the shop floor and in the air. After 1945, Blackburns meant first the giant Beverley troop carrier and then, in complete contrast, the Buccaneer naval strike aircraft. Today, although Brough remains, the name of Blackburn, like those of all the other pioneers, has disappeared into the general title of British Aerospace.

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With humble beginnings as an RAF apprentice, Johnny Wells progressed to pilot and rose to the higher echelons of command at the Air Ministry. From idyllic pre-war training, he would fly bombers against rebels over Iraq, combat Fw190s over England in the newly introduced and equally dangerous Typhoon; he would undertake hazardous low-level anti-shipping strikes in the English Channel, as well as train-busting sorties over occupied territory at night and close-support ground-attack operations across northern Europe following D-Day. Indeed, Wells ended the Second World War as one of the most successful and highly decorated Typhoon Wing Leaders in the Tactical Air Force. This well-researched account of one man’s rise through the ranks of the Air Ministry is finely illustrated with contemporary images and is an excellent testimony of what was required of air pilots during the Second World War. Wells’ story is both an inspiration and a gripping account of one man’s journey through a service career spanning more than three turbulent decades.

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The Little Book of Birmingham 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. Here we find out about the city’s most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts. Norman Bartlam’s new book gathers together a myriad of data on Brum. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of frivolous details which will amuse and surprise. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something you never knew. This is a remarkably engaging little book, and is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

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The Birmingham City Miscellany – a book on the Blues like no other, packed with facts, stats, trivia, stories and legend. Delve deep to find out all about the events and people who have shaped the club into what it is today. Featured here are a plethora of stories on this charismatic football club ranging from how the club was formed, to little-known facts about players and managers. Here you will find player feats, individual records and plenty of weird and wonderful trivia. Rivalry with Villa, favourite managers, quotes ranging from the profound to the downright bizarre and cult heroes from yesteryear – a book no true Birmingham City fan should be without.

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The British Beach Groups were a combined force of men stationed on the Normandy Beaches from the initial landing until the last unit was disbanded a few weeks after D-Day. They performed many vital roles during the assault, including: arranging and controlling the movement of all personnel and vehicles from landing craft to inland assembly areas; moving stores from ship’s holds to dumps in the beach maintenance areas; developing and organising the beaches and beach maintenance areas for defence, movement and administration, including the evacuation of casualties and the recovery vehicles; providing a beach signal organisation; organising the removal and repatriation of casualties, prisoners of war and salvaged equipment; creating dumps to hold the petrol, ammunition, rations etc. that were being landed; and establishing assembly areas for arriving personnel and their vehicles. This book explores how this often-forgotten unit were the first to arrive and the last to leave one of history’s greatest military operations and how their behind-the-scenes action saved lives and were essential for the success of the landings.

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Throughout the Celtic world, in Britain, Ireland and France, the early Christian saints left a profound legacy to the history and culture of Northern Europe. This is the first ever dictionary of Celtic saints and is fully illustrated with photographs of where each saint lived and worked, ranging from ruined monasteries to holy wells, and from caves to Roman and Celtic forts. The reader is therefore drawn into the beautiful world which these men and women inhabited, while also being able to trace the history and legend surrounding these early British Christians. Easy to use, with an Introduction and maps to pinpoint the sites described in the text, A Dictionary of Celtic Saints will appeal to anyone interested in history, landscape or spirituality. Based on sound scholarship, it will also be helpful to students of civilisation and culture.

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Voices of Eastleigh draws together memories of life in this former railway town turned commuter location from a wide range of people. How do residents view their past, present and future? Has life in Eastleigh been good to them? What was it like to live in a railway cottage where everyone knew and helped each other? What is it like to live in a modern apartment in Benny Hill Close? Glen Jayson compares nostalgic anecdotes from a centenarian resident to a child’s view of the future. Read how working at Pirelli or Kipling was once a part of community life. The stories recalled here will rekindle memories for anyone who has lived in this area for more than a few years, and will be an eye-opener for any new arrivals who want to find out more about the history of Eastleigh. The book is illustrated with a wonderful selection of photographs that capture the spirit of this unique area over the past hundred years or so.

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The hundred years from 1850 to 1950 were London’s railway century, an era during which the city was defined by its railways: grimy and utilitarian yet at the same time elegant and innovative. This fascinating book explores the many contemporary transport themes of London’s termini, including goods depots, electrified lines, industrial railways and Southern suburban lines. Covering the pivotal century 1850–1950, each chapter describes a decade and an issue particularly relevant to that period, from the railway eccentricities and early termini of the 1850s and ‘60s, through the glamorous heyday of the railway hotels in the 1890s, to the devastation of the Blitz. With fresh research revealing something of interest to both the expert as well as the everyman, there are gems to delight commuter, resident and tourist alike. Well illustrated with contemporary illustrations and key maps for each chapter, this quirky and accessible insight into London’s railway history and its lasting legacy is a must for all.

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Very few cars inspire as much affection as the original Mini. It’s the small car everyone loves to eulogise because it oozes energetic fun, classless minimalism and evergreen style. But it's also of massive historical importance: the 1959 Mini, designed by Alec Issigonis, set the template from which all successful compact cars have been created ever since. It was the technological wonder of its age. The original Mini was on sale for 41 years, during which its 5.3m sales made it the best-selling British car of all time - an achievement unlikely ever to be beaten. And just when it looked like the little car would shrivel and die, BMW had the vision to reinvent it as the planet's most desirable small car range, and put it back on the serious motoring map as the MINI. Here, award-winning writer Giles Chapman tells the whole, amazing story.

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In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries barrow digging became a field sport for local squires and parsons. Their desire for decorative relics led them to plunder the graves of their prehistoric ancestors. With a few notable exceptions their methods were lamentable: their workmen recklessly destroyed remains and pottery, and few made accurate records. What was most horrifying was the speed at which they worked — one individual digging over 30 barrows in a day and 9 in the space of two hours! Against this background it is perhaps amazing that any idea of the importance of recording provenance and context developed at all. But, in this fascinating survey of early field archaeology in Britain, Barry Marsden is able to highlight the careers and methods of the more responsible barrow diggers — from the first excavations of William Stukeley in the 1720s to the more orderly and painstaking work of the main nineteenth-century practitioners, concluding with the exemplary operations of Lt. General Pitt Rivers in the 1880s and 1890s. This substantially expanded and re-illustrated edition of a classic work that has been unavailable for many years has individual chapters on Yorkshire, Derbyshire and the Peak district, Wiltshire, Dorset and Cornwall.

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Edinburgh enjoys a long and impressive literary heritage and can claim connections with some of the world’s most famous writers. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott were all natives of the city, while Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, J.M. Barrie and Samuel Johnson were just a few of those who forged links with what William Cobbett described as ‘the finest city in the kingdom’. Edinburgh has provided the setting for countless novels over the years, not least in more recent times with Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961) and Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting (1993). Nowadays, the city hosts its annual International Book Festival, when, for a couple of weeks every August, authors and visitors from far and wide flock to Charlotte Square Gardens for ‘the biggest celebration of the written word in the world’. Published to coincide with the 21st Edinburgh International Book Festival, this work includes not only native Edinburgh authors but others on whom the city had a profound influence.

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The mobilisation of troops and equipment has always been crucial to winning a war. During the twentieth century, the days of horse-drawn logistics and cavalry charges gradually became a thing of the past, and the age of military vehicles began. This book charts the development of military vehicles from steam-powered tractors to modern main battle tanks. The story reveals how such vehicles have changed the way wars are fought, either by increasing the speed and volume of logistics or troop deployments, or through the application of mobile firepower. The narrative explains key technical innovations from World War I, through the inter-war years to World War II, the Cold War and beyond. It pays homage to outstanding designs and those that are remembered with fondness, including the M3 Lee/Grant, T-34, Panther, Tiger, M1 Abrams, Chieftain and M4 Sherman tanks; the Bren Gun Carrier, the Willys ‘Jeep’, the Dodge truck; through to the modern ‘Humvee’ and Stryker, and many more.

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By the time the guns fell silent on 11 November 1918, vast tracts of the European landscape had been so utterly devastated by artillery fire that they were virtually unrecognisable. Of all the many weapons invented by man for the purpose of waging war, artillery must rank among the most destructive of all. Through detailed research, John Norris has traced the development of artillery through the ages and up to the dawn of the twenty-first century, to provide a fascinating study of this principal weapon of warfare. From its earliest recorded use in battle about a millennium ago, up to the recent Gulf War, Balkan and Afghanistan conflicts, artillery has often been the deciding factor in battle. And yet its origins are somewhat vague. The Chinese had been working with gunpowder since the tenth century, yet it was another 200 years before the compound was used to propel a projectile from a long-barrelled bamboo piece of apparatus. Not long after this, the use of artillery spread to Europe and changed the art of warfare. This book traces the development of artillery and its use in battle through the ages.

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Victorian Britain was the world's industrial powerhouse. Its factories, mills and foundries supplied a global demand for manufactured goods. As Britain changed from an agricultural to an industrial ecomony, people swarmed into the towns and cities where the work was; by the end of Queen Victoria's reign, almost 80 per cent of the population was urban. Overcrowding and filthy living conditions, though, were a recipe for disaster, and diseases such as cholera, typhoid, scarlet fever, smallpox and puerperal (childbed) fever were a part of everyday life for (usually poor) town-and city-dwellers. However, thanks to a dedicated band of doctors, nurses, midwives, scientists, engineers and social reformers, by the time the Victorian era became the Edwardian, they were almost eradicated, and no longer a constant source of fear. Stephen Halliday tells the fascinating story of how these individuals fought opposition from politicians, taxpayers and often their own colleagues to overcome these diseases and make the country a safer place for everyone to live.

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This nostalgic, humorous and richly illustrated volume celebrates the Somerset of years gone by. Syd Durston was seven when the Second World War broke out. As well as causing panic in Britain’s cities, the war transformed life in the countryside in all sorts of ways. This is how one boy remembers life in rural Somerset during that time, where from ‘the age of ten you were at school between 9 a.m. and noon, and then you could work on the land until 8 p.m.’. It is an elegy to the levels and the moors, and the rich diversity of wildlife that could once be found in the fields – ‘thousands of grasshoppers, large and small, hopping everywhere, butterflies of all kinds feeding on the red clovers that were now in flower; the smell of the honeysuckle and the dog roses in the hedges’ – and a lament for the landscapes and ways of life that we have now lost. From the outbreak of war to the drama of D-Day, Syd – whose watercolour paintings, many of which illustrate this collection, aim to show the reality of farming life as it was then – captures a moment in history as it really was. Containing more than 120 paintings, sketches and drawings, it will delight residents and visitors alike.

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In the 1950s and 1960s south Lancashire and Cheshire was criss-crossed by a web of railway lines, servicing the various needs of local industries. The region was a haven for railway enthusiasts who pursued the hundreds of steam workhorses based at British Railways depots in ‘chemical towns’ such as Warrington, Widnes, Wigan and Sutton Oak, besides Southport and Northwich. While these facilities appeared less glamorous than larger counterparts in Liverpool or Manchester, the stories of the engines, trains and the men who were based at the depots in these towns was no less fascinating. Shed Side in South Lancashire and Cheshireprovides a fascinating portrait of the daily operations of the freight and passenger trains of the region during the final decade of Britain’s steam era. It evokes a period of grimy, metal-clattering, smoke-filled industry, and of an era forever etched in our industrial heritage.

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Focusing on the second half of the eighteenth century, a period when Britain was almost continuously at war, this book looks at different social groups, from the aristocratic elite to the labouring and criminal poor, prostitutes and petty thieves. Drawing on a range of material from personal letters to trial reports, from popular prints to love tokens, it exposes the personal cost of warfare and imperial ambition. It also reveals the opportunities for greater self-determination that some women were able to grasp, as the responsibility for maintaining the home and bringing up children fell squarely on them in their husbands’ absence. The text includes many voices from the past and throws fresh light on an under-researched aspect of women’s history. Margarette Lincoln’s fascinating book is illustrated with images from the National Maritime Museum's extensive collection of oil paintings, prints and drawings.

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This chilling collection of true stories delves into the villainous deeds that have taken place in Essex during the last 100 years. Cases of murder, robbery, poisoning and fraud are all examined as the shadier side of the county’s past is exposed. From the brutal killing of Police Sergeant Eves at Purleigh in 1893; the murder of a Chief Constable; the tale of Sally Arsenic; the Rayleigh Bath Chair murder; the infamous Coggeshall gang, and bodysnatching, this book sheds new light on Essex’s criminal history. Compiled by a former Inspector with the Essex Police Force and illustrated with a wide range of photographs and archive ephemera drawn from the archive of the Essex Police Museum, Essex Murder & Crime is sure to fascinate both residents and visitors alike as these shocking events of the past are revealed for a new generation.

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The popular seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea has long been a haven for holidaymakers, but the town also harbours some disturbing secrets... Discover the darker side of Southend with this spooky collection of spine-chilling tales from around the town. From ghostly sightings in Hadleigh Castle, ominous sounds and smells on the seafront and tales of mysterious shapes at the town’s pubs and taverns, this book is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Illustrated with over sixty pictures, Haunted Southend will delight everyone interested in the paranormal.

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In the 1950s Merseyside was a Mecca for steam enthusiasts; over 400 locomotives were allocated to the seven depots that serviced Liverpool and Birkenhead. This book covers the last twenty years of steam in Merseyside, when the area was the centre of commercial and maritime business. For the enthusiast, these sheds were places of magic, where giants of steam could be viewed at close range; for those who worked there, the experience was somewhat different as poor equipment and long shifts were commonplace. Shed Side on Merseyside provides a fascinating portrait of the daily operations of the freight and passenger trains of the region during the final years of Britain's steam era. First-hand accounts from staff including diary entries provide an insight into this period and contemporary photographs and drawings evoke the grimy, metal-clattering, smoke-filled industry, forever etched in our industrial heritage.

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Who is the unseen lady that makes her presence chillingly felt to those who fail to bid her ‘Good Morning’? What was the featureless dark shadow that terrified a curious young boy exploring a disused fort? From heart-stopping encounters with a Roman soldier to the mysterious sounds of an ancient battle, this collection of ghostly goings-on and paranormal happenings is a mixture of personal accounts and well-researched local legends, with many of the stories backed up by the town’s rich, and sometimes bloody, history. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, Haunted Weymouth is sure to send a shiver down the spine of anyone daring to learn more about the haunted history of the area. Including many previously unpublished stories, this book will appeal to both serious ghost hunters and those who simply want to discover what frights lurk beneath the surface of this once royal seaside resort.

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First published in 1916, A.L. Fowler’s book of household tips is an indispensable guide to effortlessly becoming a domestic goddess. With long-forgotten tricks for tackling twenty-first-century tasks such as removing stains, rescuing over-salted food and keeping a fridge odour-free, A.L. Fowler is practical and to the point. This delightful volume also reveals the best way to rid yourself of annoying household pests including spiders, ants and flies, and provides tips on how to remove odours from your hands while advising on the use of natural products to clean floors, windows and cooking utensils. Fowler also shows the early twentieth-century housewife how to perform miracles in the kitchen, with classic tips on making pastry extra flaky, the quickest way to peel carrots and how best to remove burnt bits from an overdone cake.

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In the Royal Navy vernacular, the term 'greenie' describes the officers and ratings responsible for the electrical engineering functions of the fleet. Electrical engineering has 'driven' the Royal Navy for far longer than one might imagine, from solving the problem of magnetic interference with the compass by the ironclad early in the 20th century onward. Author Commander Moore traces the development of technology from 1850 to today's integrated micro computers that control almost every aspect of navigation, intel, and strike capacity. At the same time, he describes how the Navy's structure and manpower changed to accommodate the new technologies, changes often accelerated in wartime, particularly in World War II. Without the full cooperation of naval establishments and organisations and various public and private museums and manufacturers, this work would have been impossible to produce. Written in an anecdotal, narrative style but with a complete mastery of the science itself, it will appeal not only to those interested in the history of the Royal Navy but also those many thousands, past and present, who can claim the honour of calling themselves one of the Greenies.

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This fascinating illustrated regimental history contains photographs between the 1860s and the last days of the Manchester Regiment in 1958, when it ceased to exist as a distinct unit. During this time the Regiment served in most parts of the Empire including areas as diverse as India, South Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Singapore, Malaya and, later, Germany. The two regular battalions of the Manchester Regiment were formed by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) and 96th Regiments of Foot during the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces. Militia and volunteers battalions from Lancashire were also incorporated as reserve battalions. Whilst serving abroad, many of the soldiers’ families went with them, and this book records the legacy and offers a detailed insight both military and family life at this time. With 200 photographs from the Regiment's own archive at the Museum of the Manchester Regiment, many never before published, this volume provides an interesting pictorial insight into the history of the Regiment.

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This is the amazing story of Lockheed's Stealth fighter. With its origins in the SR71 Blackbird, XST and Have Blue, the F117 was developed, flown and tested in absolute secrecy before it entered service with the US Air force. This illustrated hardback book features the aircrafts development, dramatic combat record over Iraq squadron service at Tonopah and Holloman, in addition to facts, figures and pilots comments about this once top secret aircraft.

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Northumbria was one of the great kingdoms of Britain in the Dark Ages, enduring longer than the Roman Empire. Yet it has been all but forgotten. This book puts Northumbria back in its rightful place, at the heart of British history. From the impregnable fastness of Bamburgh Castle, the kings of Northumbria ruled a vast area, and held sway as High Kings of Britain. From the tidal island of Lindisfarne, extraordinary saints and learned scholars brought Christianity and civilization to the rest of the country. Now, thanks to the ongoing work of a dedicated team of archaeologists this story is slowly being brought to light. The excavations at Bamburgh Castle have revealed a society of unsuspected sophistication and elegance, capable of creating swords and jewellery unparalleled before or since, and works of art and devotion that still fill the beholder with wonder.

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An illustrated diary listing events and happenings in Ladywood for every day of the year Norman Bartlam’s long-awaited new book is a day by day collection of events and happenings in Ladywood from the last two centuries. The book is based on many hours of research into newspapers, magazines and logbooks, which have brought to light some forgotten episode’s in the area’s history, as well as serving as a reminder of how life was for its inhabitants in days gone by. Within its pages is something to appeal to all ages, and will provide a great source of nostalgia for all those who know and love Ladywood.

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The English reformers of the 1530s, with Thomas Cromwell at their head, continued to have a strong belief in kingly rule and authority, in contrast to their radical approach to the power of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Resisting the king was tantamount to resisting God in their eyes, and even on a matter of conscience the will of the king should prevail. Yet just over 100 years later, Charles I was called the 'man of blood', and Oliver Cromwell famously declared that 'we will cut off his head with the crown on it'. But how did we get from the one to the other? How did the deferential Reformation become a regicidal revolution? Following on from his biography of Thomas Cromwell, John Schofield examines how the English character and the way it perceived royal rule changed between the time of Thomas Cromwell and that of his great-great-grandnephew Oliver.

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The records of the Sheffield Workhouse were destroyed in the bombing of Sheffield during the Second World War. However, using archive material, newspaper reports and the remaining Guardians’ minutes from 1890, this book reveals the story of this feared local institution. Famously contentious, the Sheffield Board of Guardians often went against the wishes of the Local Government Board, and even of their own workhouse staff. Containing the full and fascinating histories of Sheffield’s three workhouses (as well as the workhouse school and the attached farm), this book will captivate residents and visitors alike.

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This chilling follow-up to Devon Murders brings together more murderous tales that shocked not only the county but made headline news throughout the nation. Covering the length and breadth of Devon, the featured cases include the stabbing of Walter Lechlade, a close associate of the Bishop of Exeter in 1283; the murder of Exeter lawyer Nicholas Radford in 1455, victim of a feud with the powerful Courtenay family; the suspicious deaths of baby George Lakeman at Buckfastleigh in 1817, and of the newly-married Laura Shortland near Blackawaton in 1884; the killing of Bridget Walsh by her lover at Plymouth in 1874; the case of baby farmer Annie Tooke, convicted of infanticide at Exeter in 1879; and the affair between Sidney Chamberlain and Doreen Messenger, a girl half his age, which led to her being strangled on Haldon Hill in 1949. John Van der Kiste’s well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to everyone interested in true-crime history and the shadier side of Devon’s past.

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This book is more than a biography of kings and queens; it is an encyclopaedic work on every aspect of monarchy in Britain from semi-legendary times to the present day. Arranged in an A-Z format, it includes mini biographies on each of the forty-two kings and queens who have ruled since the Norman Conquest, details of the royal lines in Scotland before the Act of Union, the background to the royal houses of Britain and the consorts - largely foreign - who have married into the monarchy. Royal scandals, wars, ceremonies, households, tombs and insignia make fascinating reading, and this book is the ideal reference work for all those who want to know more about individual monarchs and the impressive legacy of myths, traditions, beliefs and practices that have grown up around the institution of the monarchy.

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Everyone remembers the Queen’s ‘Annus Horribilis’, but what do 'quid pro quo' and 'habeas corpus' mean? Why do plants have Latin names? Why do families, towns, countries and even football teams have Latin mottoes? What do the Latin epitaphs in churches say? What are the words of Mozart's 'Requiem'? These are just a few of the topics covered in this book. As Mark Walker makes clear, present-day English is still steeped in its Roman and Latin origins. As a result English still has many thousands of Latin words in everyday use. Caveat emptor!

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Ipswich Town’s Championship win of 1961/62 was one the greatest shocks in the history of professional football in England. No one could have conceived of how a small-town club would break into the top division of English football and take the Championship trophy at their very first attempt, a feat never achieved before or since. This is the story of that season in a match-by-match account set against the background of the news stories of the day. Also included is an analysis of the players, the team tactics and the manager Alf Ramsey, plus a statistical breakdown of the season.

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In 2007, journalist Nick Allen quit a secure job in Pakistan as a news agency writer to experience the life of foreign troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Over several years he journeyed as an embedded reporter with a dozen armies, working his way through placid backwaters to remote, savage hotspots where daily clashes with insurgent forces were the norm. Driven by a desire to himself live and then convey some of the drama, tragedy, farce and sheer frustration experienced by soldiers and marines from California to Copenhagen, Allen returned again and again for ‘embeds’ with different contingents to explore a multinational effort that will surely define NATO’s future and events in South Asia, and the world, for many years to come. No other writer managed to gain such broad access to the forty-two-country Coalition that was deployed in Afghanistan, or produce an account that carries so much of the essence of soldiering in this inhospitable environment, where extremes of climate, treachery and enemy cunning have always defeated nations that dared to wage war in the ‘graveyard of empires.’ Embed explores the fragile calm of Bamiyan and its ancient sites and other low-intensity regions – usually ignored but a vital part of the overall picture – together with the ferocious clashes of Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar and other provinces. The author found that even the most sophisticated armed forces had been sucked into a fight they were ill-prepared for and, amid political uncertainty and dwindling public support back home, ultimately could not win.

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From heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, poltergeists and related supernatural phenomena, to first-hand encounters with phantoms and spirits, this collection of stories contains both new and well-known spooky tales from around Stirling. A whole chapter is dedicated to the mysterious goings-on at Stirling Castle, where cleaners in the King's Old Building claimed to have heard footsteps coming from the third floor — which hasn't existed since a fire in the nineteenth-century; while a 1930s photograph purports to capture the shadow of a phantom guardsman — possibly the same 'Highland Soldier' often reportedly mistaken by tourists for a castle guide.The town itself has no shortage of fascinating tales, including the story of the Old Town's most famous phantom, seventeenth-century merchant John 'Auld Staney Breeks' Cowane, whose spirit is said to inhabit his statue each Hogmanay. A playful ghost supposedly throws pots and pans around the kitchens of the Darnley Coffee House, while frequent power failures and mishaps in the Tolbooth Theatre — originally the eighteenth-century Burgh jail — are blamed upon the malicious spirit of the last man hanged, Alan Mair. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, Haunted Stirling is guaranteed to intrigue and chill both believers and sceptics alike.

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This fascinating selection of photographs illustrates the extraordinary transformation that has taken place in Aylesbury over the past century. The book offers an insight into the daily lives and living conditions of local people and gives the reader a glimpse of familiar places during a period of unprecedented change. Many aspects of Aylesbury'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 taken place on the streets of the town 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 has changed in Aylesbury in terms of buildings, traditions and ways of life.

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Southern England. Late summer 1940. The nation is fighting for its very survival and the Luftwaffe's aerial offensive is unrelenting. All that lies between invasion and salvation for Britain is the 'thin blue line' of RAF Fighter Command and its pilots. This newly illustrated anniversary edition of Life as a Battle of Britain Pilot reveals what it was like to fly a fighter plane in the Battle of Britain. Who were the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of 1940? How did they spend a typical day? And when pitched together in combat at 30,000 feet, which was the better machine - Spitfire or Me109? Read Life as a Battle of Britain Pilot and then ask yourself: would I have been up to the job?

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During the 1930s the popular press were carrying stories of a death ray that could disable aircraft, and it became such a popular notion that an investigation was carried out by a government scientist, Robert Watson-Watt. His discovery was that it was not that electro-magnetic waves could interfere with aircraft, but that aircraft could interfere with radio transmissions. The strategic importance of this was appreciated and a secret establishment was set up to develop a means of using radio transmissions to detect the approach of enemy aircraft – the birth of radar. As World War II broke out Ian Goult joined this elite group of scientists – aged only sixteen – as a lab assistant, working on GEE, a navigational aid allowing accurate location of targets. Its success allowed Bomber command to effectively navigate as far as the Ruhr.In Secret Location, Goult describes taking part in work on radar and microwave techniques that gave Britain supremacy in the air, and greatly improved submarine detection during the Battle of the Atlantic, saving thousands of tons of materiel and many lives. Told in an engaging style, this book offers a unique insight in those men whose achievements during the war have been underappreciated, but whose efforts were a key factor in the Allied victory. Postwar, Ian Goult was closely involved in the development of ground proximity warning systems and and the very first ATOL.

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From heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, manifestations and related supernatural phenomena, to first-hand encounters with phantoms and spirits, this collection of stories contains both new and well-known spooky tales from around Stockton. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, Haunted Stockton contains a chilling range of ghostly phenomena sure to chill everyone interested in the supernatural history of the area to the bone.

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The people of Oxfordshire certainly know how to enjoy themselves, and take part in many varied and remarkable customs, sports and traditions that are held annually around the county. Some of these, like the May Morning and Beating the Bounds, go back for centuries but have been altered and adapted over the years. Others are relatively recent revivals, such as the agricultural show at Thame, which is Victorian in origin. The last fifty years has seen an unprecedented number of new celebrations, which have become traditions in their own right. Foremost among these are the Cropredy and Towersey folk festivals. Above all, these events are community-based and often also charity fund-raisers. Some of those featured here include the Bampton Great Shirt race, egg jarping at Chinnor, the Banbury Hobby Horse festival, Abingdon Morris Dancers Mock Mayor Elections, the Pumpkin Club, and the pub game Aunt Sally, which is virtually unknown outside of the county, among many others. Illustrated with 180 superb photographs, this book features funfairs and fêtes, celebrations and carnivals, games and shows, each one a unique celebration of Oxfordshire’s heritage.

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If you dream of country without caravans, where people are free to hunt foxes, smoke in pubs and where the Health and Safety Executive has been disbanded then this is the book for you. Speed Cameras, Ramblers, People Carriers... our country is going down the toilet and nobody in power seems to care - what can be done to make Britain great again?

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Covering the legendary Lofoten and Dieppe raids, the D-Day landings and the capture of Flushing, James Dunning recounts the history of No. 4 Commando, an elite wartime special service unit, from formation in 1940 to disbandment five years later. The author, himself, a ‘Fighting Fourth’ veteran, describes how 500 volunteers, despite initial problems, prejudices and frustrations, developed into one of the most feared fighting formations of the Second World War. The extraordinarily tough and unorthodox training undertaken by No. 4 Commando prepared them for the raids of 1941 and 1942, their protracted involvement on D-Day and for 83 days’ action in the struggle for Normandy. Their last major operation was the storming and capture of the vital port of Flushing in November 1944. This readable and authoritative history of the unit reveals their important role in the Second World War.

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For decades the high walls of Winchester Prison have contained some of the country’s most infamous criminals. Until hanging was abolished in the 1960s it was also the main centre of execution for those convicted in Hampshire. Among the executions carried out here was the hanging of soldier Abraham Goldenberg for the murder of a bank clerk; William Podmore, hanged in 1930 after killing a garage owner in Southampton; and two Polish refugees who murdered a have-a-go hero during a bungled bank robbery. Winchester was also the site of the last triple execution in Britain, when a Teignmouth coachman, a Southampton labourer and an eighteen-year-old rifleman based at Aldershot were hanged together for three unrelated crimes. Fully illustrated with photographs news cuttings and engravings, Hanged at Winchester features each of the cases in one volume for the first time and is sure to appeal to everyone interested in the shadier side of Hampshire’s history.

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From Ace to Zodiac - via the world-beating Land Rover, the thrilling Morgan Aeromax, the eternally young Mini Cooper and the unique London taxi - this is a celebration of the best British cars, old and new, in all their glorious diversity. Don't you believe it when people say there's no such thing as a 'British' car any more. As a nation, the calamity of British Leyland and MG Rover lingers in our collective conscience, but car factories in Britain today build some of the world's most advanced and desirable cars. Some of them have Japanese names, for sure, but then Ford was always more hamburger than roast beef, wasn't it? Britain's engineers, designers and entrepreneurs have for decades been the creators of motor cars with unique style and charm, from the Bentley 3-litre and Morris Minor Traveller of 'then' to the Aston Martin Vantage and Lotus Evora of 'now'. Inside, you'll find out about the country's 100 most significant models, boasting style, speed, ingenuity and The Right Stuff. They'll make you glad they're British!

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Graverobbing was a dark but profitable industry in pre-Victorian Scotland – criminals, gravediggers and middle-class medical students alike abstracted newly-buried corpses to send to the anatomy schools. Only after the trials of the infamous murderers Burke and Hare and the passing of the Anatomy Act of 1832 did the grisly trade end. From burial grounds in the heart of Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh to quiet country graveyards in the Scottish Borders and Aberdeenshire, this book takes you to every cemetery ever raided, and reveals where you can find extant pieces of anti-resurrectionist graveyard furniture, from mortsafes, coffin cages and underground vaults to watchtowers and morthouses. Richly illustrated, filled with hundreds of stories of ‘reanimated’ corpses, daring thefts, black-hearted murders and children sold to the slaughter by their own mothers, and with Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic short story The Body Snatcher at the end, this macabre guide will delight everyone who loves Scotland's dark past.

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This fascinating book charts the history of Bournemouth through a variety of images depicting scenes of yesteryear along with contrasting images of contemporary views from over 100 years later. Where possible, the modern photographs have been taken from the same vantage points to illustrate how the town has changed over the century. The archive postcards and photographs, many of which have previously been unpublished, show the gardens looking totally different, freshly laid out with a large fountain where the balloon now stands, and streets busy with trams and carts. With pictures accompanied by informative captions, this volume will rekindle fond memories in the older members of the town, and reveal a different Bournemouth for the younger members.

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Man City: 50 Classic Matches brings together, for the first time, all the Blues’ finest hours. Revel in the glory and relive some of the best moments from the early twentieth century right up to today. Featuring detailed reports sourced from news clippings of the day, complete with teams, attendance and other statistical data and interspersed with players’ quotes, this book is an entertaining read and attractive to City fans of all ages. From the first game ever played at Maine Road in 1923, to the last in 2003, and from belters at the City of Manchester Stadium to Wembley classics, relegation deciders and thrilling derbies against bitter rivals Manchester United, this book has all the drama you could ever want, and more if you can bear it. Encapsulating City’s reputation for doing things the hard way, this book has a generous smattering of gallows humour and ten mini-entries of ‘games to forget’. All in all, a unique and entertaining read.

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When Christine Cuss (née Pierce), was born in 1934, her doting father began a journal addressed to her. At first he recorded everyday details such as first teeth and family holidays, but as the 1930s progressed his words took on a more sinister tone, as Europe and the world prepared for war. As well as being a rare historical document, Notes to my Daughter shows another side to the Second World War. It was written by a man who was torn between his duty to his country and his duty to his family. In a poignant and heart-warming turn of events, at every crossroads Alexander Pierce chose his family, not least his only daughter, Christine. This little family is an example of the spirit and determination of the British people through difficult times. Old or young, the sentiments expressed in these love letters to a cherished child will not fail to touch and move all who read them, and open a window into the extraordinary life of an ordinary family.

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