Search results for ""the history press""

Pan-am

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This text is a comprehensive look at the military aircraft that flew for the Luftwaffe in World War II, it covers all aspects, including details on design, development history, service records as well as performance and crew members.

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Hastings: Wartime Memories and Photographs weaves the personal stories of 75 people who endured life in Hastings during the Home Front war years with more than 140 photographs, the majority of which have never been published before. It describes the dramatic and turbulent way in which a peaceful seaside resort quickly became a town in grave danger of enemy attack, whose residents had to adapt very rapidly in order to cope with the numerous problems that now faced them. The book delves into the lives of ordinary men, women and children, as well as the soldiers and evacuees who made Hastings their home at the time and so lived with the constant fear of invasion, and provides a detailed and colourful account of life on the front line. The personal stories and photographs are complemented by documentary evidence from various sources, including local newspapers, local and national government records and two very informative private diaries that were meticulously kept in Hastings during the Second World War by John Turner and Charles Chalk. The focus of this book is once again Hastings and St Leonards, but inevitably the surrounding towns and villages are also included.

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The Market of Chichester

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Back-to-backs were once the commonest form of housing in England, home to the majority of working people in Victorian cities, but they have now almost entirely vanished from our urban townscape. The survival of Court 15 in Birmingham is the starting point of this book. A mixture of documentary evidence and oral history tells the story of those who lived there, each unique - a glass eye maker from Birmingham, a Jewish watch-maker from Poland and a little girl who used to sleep in the entry. Each contributes fascinating evidence about 19th- and 20th-century Britain, from the boom years of Victorian expansion to the Hungry Thirties.Dr Upton explores such practical matters as: What was it like to live in a house with one bedroom and no running water? How did eleven families share two toilets? This book also looks at issues of where we live and why. The rise and fall of the back-to-back is a sobering tale of how our nation houses its people, and illuminates the story of the development of urban housing.

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Salisbury is always symbolised by its cathedral spire and the physical dominance of that magnificent building over the surrounding city is as impressive today as it was in medieval times. The two elements of Salisbury - the cathedral and the city - owe their existence to each other and the relationship between the authorities on opposite sides of the Close wall dominated the early centuries when the new town was developing its independent identity.The shape of the city was laid down in the 13th century and the essence of the planned medieval town with its chequer system can still be easily traced. Growth since then has spread outwards from this original core but the importance of the Market Place still draws both residents and visitors back to the centre. 'Continuity and change' may be a familiar phrase but it summarises Salisbury both architecturally and as a community. A recurring theme is the continued use of old buildings for changed functions. By such gentle adaptations wholesale destruction and rebuilding have been avoided. This important new book traces the development of Salisbury as a market, as an industrial town, as a transport hub, and as a social and service centre.Its authors have very successfully met the challenge of producing a comprehensive, concise and readable volume, generously and intelligently illustrated. It will provide a valuable source of reference and also excite the imagination through its fascinating insights into the lives of past citizens. A splendid synthesis of well-researched facts and entertaining anecdotes, this is local history writing at its best.

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The town of Maidstone became indelibly associated with revolution and riot between the 14th and 16th centuries when it experienced the Peasants' Revolt, Cade's Rebellion and the Wyatt Revolt. The townsfolk seem to have enjoyed an independant spirit ever since. Following the Battle of Maidstone, fought between Parliamentarians and Royalists in 1648, the Mayor was Clerk to the court which tried Charles I and it was probably he who pronounced the death sentence. Town meetings voiced opposition to the Revolutionary War with France, and urged the King to dismiss Pitt the Younger and his ministers, but the local population was patriotic. When the threat to the country became apparent the people speedily raised a regiment of Volunteers to defend the homeland. Maidstone artisans were prominent in the Swing Riots of 1830. The town was a centre for the fulling process, essential to cloth production, and for a long period enjoyed a virtual monopoly in threadmaking. It also provided local ragstone for the Tower of London and Windsor Castle Chapel and became, in time, a major source of hops and fruit. Brewers such as Fremlins and Style and Winch were situated here, as were producers of Hollands gin and cherry brandy.Papermaking was an industry of local importance. Sharps toffee, Fosters Clarks grocery lines, Tilling-Stevents buses and Rootes, who built the first Singer car in 1912, were among national names that began life in the town. Penenden Heath has been the county meeting place and the spot from which justice was dispensed since before Domesday, so it was appropriate that Maidstone should eventually become the county town for Kent. Nowadays the county administration and public services are centred here and they have largely replaced the former industries, which have all but disappeared. But the town is proud of its long and rich history and this fully illustrated account helps explain precisely why Maidstone has been such an important town in south-east England for over a thousand years.

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Henrietta Barnett is known for her role as the founder of Hampstead Garden Suburb, an innovative and imaginative housing development planned to provide attractive and affordable accommodation for all, regardless of income or social class. This book presents an account of Henrietta's life and work.

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Hythe is the favourite Kent town for many people. An historic Cinque Port and seaside resort, great defensive interest and unusual charm add to its appeal as a quintessential small English town. Its Golden Age was from the 11th to the 14th centuries, when, along with the other Cinque Ports, it was responsible for the defence of this most vulnerable corner of England. The gradual silting of its harbour, coupled with a serious fire and a bad bout of the Plague, led to its decline in status. But far from becoming a 'Port of Stranded Pride', Hythe was re-invented as a military town during the Napoleonic threat.The School of Musketry was established there, the famous Royal Military Canal was dug, and Martello Towers were erected as defensive bastions. Still features of the local landscape, the canal, in particular, remains a wonderful asset that runs right through the heart of the town. Hythe grew into a middle ranking seaside watering place, with indoor baths based on the grand spa buildings of Bath and Cheltenham, and a quaint horse tram that ran for four miles along the sea to Sandgate.In recent years the world-famous Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway has attracted thousands of visitors, as has the traffic-free High Street, with its fascinating mix of building periods and styles, now a shopper's delight! From the High Street ancient narrow alleys climb the hillside to the majestic parish church of St Leonard. This is the first book to combine an authoritative, readable history of the town with an extensive collection of interesting old photographs, drawn not only from the authors' own archives but also those of other respected local historians, most of which have never previously been published.In particular, Hythe's eastern suburb of Seabrook, which has been totally overlooked in previous histories of the town, is included for the first time, and in detail.

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A history of Sevenoaks people and faith

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Plantation Castles on the Erne is a guidebook of Ulster Plantation castles in the Erne basin (Counties Fermanagh, Cavan and parts of Donegal and Tyrone) that still survive, to a greater or lesser extent. The guide is broken into two parts. The first part sets the scene for the conditions that led to the creation of the Ulster Plantation in 1610 and gives an account of the conditions which accompanied the grants to the various undertakers, including those articles relating to castle building. The section continues with a brief summary of the political conditions prevailing in Ireland and more specifically in Ulster, in the seventeenth century, which impacted on the castles’ survival. It concludes with a short section outlining the reasons why the castle-building tradition finally ended. Photographs illustrate typical castle features (loopholes, corbels, ovens etc). The second part of the guide describes three suggested castle itineraries that could be followed in a day’s outing. The reader can choose a route around Lower Lough Erne, Upper Lough Erne or County Cavan. The history of each castle site is then outlined in detail followed by a description of the surviving ruins, complete with illustrations.

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The Offaly War Dead, a comprehensive list of those from Co. Offaly who died during the First World War, is the fourth in this series, following the successful The Tipperary War Dead, The Wicklow War Dead and The Wexford War Dead. The men honoured in The Offaly War Dead died during the First World War or following it, while in the service of the British Army, the Australian Army, the New Zealand Army, the American Army, the Indian Army, the Canadian Army, the South African Army, the Royal Navy or the British Mercantile Marine. Such a list, combined with intricate data and never-before-seen correspondence and photographs, is an essential addition to any local historian or military enthusiast’s bookshelf.

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The Wicklow War Dead, a comprehensive list of those from County Wicklow who died during the two world wars, is the second in this series, following the success of The Tipperary War Dead. After tireless research, Tom and Seamus Burnell put together a record of 840 soldiers, officers, sailors, airmen and nursing sisters, who listed their next of kin as being from Wicklow. The list also incorporates the airmen, soldiers and sailors buried in Wicklow during the two wars. The men honoured in Wicklow War Dead died during the First World War or following it, while in the service of the British Army, the Australian Army, the New Zealand Army, the American Army, the Indian Army, the Canadian Army, the South African Army, the Royal Navy or the British Mercantile Marine. Such a list, combined with intricate data and never-before-seen correspondence and photographs, is an essential addition to any local historian or military enthusiast's bookshelf.

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Kilmainham Gaol is a building with a remarkable history. From 1796, when the first prisoners were received within its portals, to 1924, when the last prisoners were removed, it held over 100,000 people. In the traditional nationalist linear narrative of Irish history no other gaol in Ireland holds such a powerful resonance. Kilmainham Gaol has unparalleled connections with a whole tradition of interpretation and understanding of Irish history. Following the removal of the last prisoner in 1924 the gaol was abandoned for many years but never quite forgotten. This book traces the story from 1924 and demonstrates just how significant the history of the gaol has been since its closure as a prison. The eventual restoration of the gaol became one of the most inspiring instances of active citizenship in modern Irish history. The Bastille of Ireland outlines the progress of the voluntary restoration committee in their efforts to develop the gaol as a national monument to commemorate Ireland’s patriotic dead. The author explores something of the ever-changing complexities of nationalist commemoration in Ireland and how the Kilmainham Gaol Museum has been a site where nationalist orthodoxies have been both respected and challenged, helping to ensure that the gaol continues to have a relevance in contemporary cultural life.

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Images of Mulligar

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The years immediately after the Second World War were known as the decade of disappearing Irish – the peak period of emigration since the Great Famine. Many of these migrants went to Britain and played a key role in the rebuilding the country after the ravages of war. Their legacy, both in bricks and mortar and also in their cultural and social influences, can still be seen today. Following a brief overview of Ireland and Britain during the post-war years, this book explores the economic and social factors of migration, the work, such as navvies and nurses, that the migrants found in Britain, and the various support systems, such as the Church, pubs, Irish clubs and charities, that were formed as a result, and which created a vibrant legacy that survives to this day.

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The planning of Holy Trinity church in Cork City began in 1825, and the building was finally completed some sixty years later. The story of its completion mirrors the turbulent history of Ireland of the time, and the development of the cultural and civic life of the community, particularly in charting the life of its patron, Father Theobald Matthew and the important role of the Capuchin Order. In this new work, Patrica Curtin-Kelly chronicles the fascinating history of this building and details some of its treasures, including the stained-glass windows by renowned Irish artist Harry Clarke.

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Dublin, March 1874. Charles Stewart Parnell, only twenty-six years old, speaks in public for the first time as a candidate for Ireland’s Home Rule Party. Hesitant and nervous, he stumbles through his speech to the sound of booing and leaves the platform humiliated. He vows that in future he will find his voice – and make it heard. Within three years of this speech, Parnell made the House of Commons unworkable; within six years he had destroyed the landlords in Ireland; and within a decade he controlled the House of Commons and put English Prime Ministers in and out of government at will. Parnell: A Novel charts the life of this most enigmatic and remarkable of men, as seen through the eyes of his loyal secretary James Harrison. From the Houses of Parliament to the blighted villages of the West of Ireland, from the courtrooms of the Royal Courts of Justice to the cells of Kilmainham Gaol, this is the story of how the character of one man could alter the fate of two nations.

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The fountains of Dublin are many and varied, from elaborate Victorian masterpieces and modern sculptures to more modest, practical installations. Unfortunately, many of the older fountains have fallen into disuse and lie, long forgotten and derelict, in overlooked corners of the city. This book, beautifully illustrated with modern and archive photographs, documents the remaining fountains of Dublin, with each entry accompanied by a brief, and often colourful, history together with the precise locations and directions, allowing people to start enjoying these forgotten places once more.

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County Antrim, home to the Giant’s Causeway, has a rich heritage of myths and legends which is uniquely captured in this collection of traditional tales from across the county. Featured here are stories of well-known figures from Irish folklore, including Conal Cearnach, with his association to Dunseverick Castle, and Deirdre of the Sorrows, whose mournful plight is linked to the rock at Ballycastle, known as Carraig Usnach. Here you will also find tales of lesser-known Antrim characters such as the heroic outlaw Naoise O’Haughan and local lad Cosh-a-Day, along with fantastical accounts of mythical creatures, including the mermaid of Portmuck, the banshee of Shane’s Castle, and the ghostly goings-on in Belfast. These stories bring to life the county’s varied landscape, from its lofty mountains to its fertile lowlands and dramatic coastline.

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From the saints of the Dark Ages to modern-day sinners, Galway Bay is the source of some of Ireland’s most magical tales. In this book local storyteller Rab Fulton takes the reader through Galway’s past, recalling the myths and legend’s that shaped the area’s history – from the quarrelsome giants who in their rage created the Aran Isles to the corpse that flew through the air at the very first Galway Arts Festival. Also featuring tales of magic swans, miraculous nuns, a city beneath the waves and a cannibal king, this is a great companion for any visit to the county, for fascinating days out and finding exciting treasure on your doorstep.

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The mountains and spectacular coastline of County Waterford are rich in traditional stories. Even today, in the modern world of internet and supermarkets, old legends dating as far back as the days of the ancient Gaelic tribes and the carvers of the ogham stones are still told and are gathered here in this unique collection of tales from across the county. Included here are tales of well-known legendary figures such as Aoife and Strongbow, St Declan and the three river goddesses Eiru, Banba and Fodhla, guardians of the rivers Suir, Nore and Barrow, as well as stories of less well-known characters such as Petticoat Loose, whose ghost is said to still roam the county, and the Republican Pig, who was unfortunate enough to become caught up in the siege of Waterford. In a vivid journey through Waterford’s landscape, from the towns and villages to the remotest places, by mountains, cliffs and valleys, local storyteller Anne Farrell takes the reader along old and new roads to places where legend and landscape are inseparably linked.

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Most people remember the flooding of Cork in 2009 and the tremendous damage that was caused. Less well-known is that this was not the first time this had happened. On 1 November 1853 another flood of immense proportions poured into the city from the west. On that occasion the main bridge in the city, St Patrick’s Bridge, was swept away and with it the lives of between fifteen and twenty people. Where Bridges Stand: The River Lee Bridges of Cork City tells the story of how the city grew around, and in harmony with, the bridges that span the twin channels of the River Lee, the people and the historical contexts associated with the building projects that saw Cork grow from a medieval walled town to the thriving commercial port and modern city that it is today.

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A Broken Hallelujah traces a young man’s path through the Christian Brothers’ regime from Juniorate through the Leaving Certificate year to Teacher Training, and from there to work ‘on the mission’. The author describes in intimate detail the experiences and challenges he faces on the way, culminating in the final and most difficult decision of all, whether or not to remain in the fold of the Brothers’ Congregation. This unique story recalls a type of education which has long since passed out of use, and has become, for many, a piece of history in itself. In detailing his experiences, the author describes the dilemmas faced by a great number of people, dilemmas which reflect many of the choices and difficulties that have shaped the Ireland of today.

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What the Doctor ordered

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The paranormal history of Belfast is one that has often been forgotten, buried under the decades of regional upheaval. However, for centuries, there have been stories and sightings of Belfast's resident apparitions. This title features a collection of such stories, from poltergeists to apparitions, sounds and smells to spooky manifestations.

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The historic town of Wexford has a rich and vibrant history, which is uniquely encapsulated in this selection of archive images taken from the John Scanlon Collection, curated by Dominic Kiernan and preserved by Paddy Donovan. A native of Wexford, the late John Scanlon was a prolific photographer who captured a period in Wexford's history, from the 1950s to the 1970s, when it was undergoing dramatic change. The snapshots recall old shops and streets, churches and institutions, the harbour and industry, and the people of this vibrant maritime town.

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The people of Tyrone have the reputation for having 'open hearts and a desire to please' and their folk tales are as varied as their landscape. There are the tales of the amazing feats of the giant Finn McCool and the derring-do of the Red Hand of Ulster as well as the dramatic story of Half-Hung MacNaughton and the hilarious tale of Dixon from Dungannon and his meeting with royalty. All these stories and more are featured in this collection of tales which will take you on an oral tour across the country from the Sperrin Mountains in the west to the flat peatlands of the east.

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Around Spondon

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Delineation of Gloucestershire

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Around Grays

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Steam-driven locomotives played a major role in the nineteenth century, when they took over the heavy haulage tasks from horses and ushered in a new era in the history of transport. They undertook multitudes of tasks, from powering funfairs to heavy haulage for industry, and often looked stunning while working and certainly when now shown in a preserved state.In Road Locomotives and Tractors, Eric Sawford celebrates the many remarkable examples of these vehicles, from the magnificent showmen's engines to the huge road locomotives, as well as the smaller ones better suited to general haulage. The commercial owners and the companies that made them are identified, and fascinating details are given about the road locomotives' evolving designs. Featuring over 200 photographs of surviving road locomotives and tractors, Sawford takes the reader on a stunning visual tour of an era long past.

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The figure of the gladiator is as compelling to us as it was to the Romans. Why are we drawn to this ancient blood sport?The usual explanation of the savagery lurking beneath our veneer of civilisation is too simplistic. Gladiatorial combat has always been far more than just an excuse for the enjoyment of violence. From its origins in the funerary religious practices of Republican Rome to the extreme form of entertainment we recognise today, the bloody business of the arena evolved into a microcosm of the Roman Empire: a self-contained world reflecting the culture, attitudes and history of Rome itself.The World of the Gladiator brings the games and the gladiators into focus, placing them in their historical and cultural context. Using evidence from all over the Roman world, including fresh archaeological discoveries, the minutiae of the arena are set out and discussed. A picture of the gladiator's life is built up, from traini

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Tales of Forgotten Kent is a collection of twenty-two essays about the people and events that have largely been neglected by historians, but remain an integral part of Kent's rich tapestry, featuring the eccentric, unusual and often overlooked tales buried within the garden of England.Who would have thought that the cradle of British aviation was the unfashionable Isle of Sheppey, home to Britain's first licensed pilots and the world's first aircraft manufacturers; or that the greatest technological change in printing computer typesetting occurred in the small town of Westerham; and that the poet who wrote the first sonnet was not actually Shakespeare but Sir Thomas Wyatt of Allington Castle, lover of Anne Boleyn; or that Britain's oldest school is The King's School, Canterbury, whose alumni includes the controversial playwright Christopher Marlowe, and still plays host to ghostly legends.Read on to unearth more of Kent's best kept secrets a

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Operating in all weathers, invariably at night, often at low level and usually without fighter escort, Allied Special Duties' (SD) squadrons and units played a vital role in the Second World War. By their very nature, these operations went unreported in wartime and for considerable time thereafter, but their importance in prosecuting the war of resistance in Occupied Europe was immense.Emerging from a time of rudimentary communications and transport, dedicated air units had been established by 1939 to fly agents into enemy territory, but their aircraft were hand-me-downs and the SD was considered a poor third to fighter and bomber operations. However, the tasks undertaken by these men and their aircraft were often more hazardous and demanding than any other type of wartime flying: for every SOS, SIS or OSS agent who lost their life in the field, at least one RAF or USAAF airman was killed while flying SD operations.Here, David Oliver examines the explo

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One of the most famous and spectacular events of the Second World War was the destruction of two dams in the Ruhr by Avro Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron, known ever since as the Dambusters Raid. The bombs that the Lancasters dropped were designed by the most prolific inventor of armaments of the period. His Tallboy and Grand Slam earthquake bombs helped destroy the battleship Tirpitz as well as numerous other high-profile targets, and were only eclipsed in destructive power by the atom bombs dropped on Japan.The inventor was Barnes Wallis and A Hell of a Bomb is the story of the development of his bombs, their destructive uses and how they helped win the war for the Allies.

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The story of herring is entwined in the history of commercial fishing. For over two millennia, herring has been commercially caught and its importance to the coastal peoples of Britain cannot be measured. At one point tens of thousands were involved in the catching, processing and sale of herring. They followed the shoals around the coast from Stornoway to Penzance and many towns on Britain's east coast grew rich on the backs of the silver darlings'.Fishing historian Mike Smylie looks at the effects of herring on the people who caught them, their unique ways of life, the superstitions of the fisher folk, their boats and the communities who lived for the silver darlings.With a wealth of illustrations, this fascinating book reveals the little-known history of the herring. And for those who've neglected the silver darlings for lesser fish such as cod and haddock, there are a number of mouth-watering recipes to try.

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While we conveniently package the past into decades when talking about the Roaring '20s', the Rock and Roll era' of the '50s or the Swinging '60s', these tend to be labels of convenience rather than of historical accuracy. In reality, the first four years of the 1950s were more akin to the 1940s, with austerity and rationing still facts of every-day life. Likewise, the first three years of the '60s were, in terms of fashion, social attitudes and living standards, really part of the 1950s. The year 1963 was to be the seminal year when most of the things we now associate with the Swinging '60s' really began.Most years are fortunate to experience three or four seminal events during their allotted twelve months; a cursory look through a chronology of 1963, however, shows just how many significant events took place. This year alone saw a huge number of watershed moments in popular culture, national and international politics.Arranged in a chronological, mon

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Under the Sickle and the Sledgehammer was originally published in 1942, as war still raged between Finland and Soviet Union. Its writer was a Finnish woman who emigrated to Russia in the 1930s, convinced the new egalitarian state and workers' paradise would be a better life for her and her young son, hopeful once settled she could send for him. What followed was very different to what was promised: a life in constant fear, under intense government scrutiny, of purges and Great Wraths, good people imprisoned and shot; and state-run propaganda that spun a web of lies around its people. The author eventually escaped, defying the odds when so many of her friends and loved ones did not, and recorded her memories under a pseudonym in what became the second most censored book from Finnish libraries after the war. This is the first English translation of this important memoir, whose original preface states: I simply want to provide an honest account of what my friends and I had to

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The ancient Celts lived by and worshipped the moon. While modern, digital life is often at odds with nature rubbing against it rather than working in harmony with it is there something to be said for embracing this ancient way of being and reconnecting to the moon's natural calendar?January's Quiet Moon reflects an air of melancholy, illuminating a midwinter of quiet menace; it was the time of the Dark Days for the ancient Celts, when the natural world balanced on a knife edge. By May, the Bright Moon brings happiness as time slows, mayflies cloud and elderflowers cascade. Nature approaches her peak during a summer of short nights and bright days this was when the ancient Celts claimed their wives and celebrated Lugnasad. With the descent into winter comes the sadness of December's Cold Moon. Trees stand bare and creatures shiver their way to shelter as the Dark Days creep in once more and the cycle restarts.In The Quiet Moon, Kevin Parr discovers th

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Be part of history, walk a frontier lost for over fifteen hundred years.'The Western Hadrianic Frontier of the Roman Empire is little known by the general public. Until recently the frontier was viewed as merely a series of forts with a fluid means of defence and administration between them, and the public was understandably drawn to the physical remains of Hadrian's Wall crossing from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend.Archaeologists have always known different, and it is only now that they are beginning to shout from the rooftops that the Western Frontier is as important as the stones that cross the Pennines. Fortunately, through the efforts of a small band of archaeologists and Historic England, the public perception is changing. There is a wealth of magnificent and diverse scenery and amazing archaeology which rivals the better-known sites along the Hadrian's Wall.Walking the frontier offers opportunities for personal adventure a

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Not to be missed, Philippa Langley and her international team untangle a 500-year-old mystery to reveal the fate of the Princes of the Tower.

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Within two years of the battle of Bosworth, Henry Tudor was forced to defend his throne against a formidable challenge mounted on behalf of a ten-year-old boy who had been crowned in Dublin as Edward VI'. Though presented as the last surviving Plantagenet, the young lad is generally known to history as Lambert Simnel.Lambert Simnel and the Battle of Stoke unravels the tangled web of dynastic politics and rivalries in Yorkist England, seeking a context for the bizarre events of 1487. It considers the political instability and the miasma of intrigue associated with the reign of Richard III and the first years of Henry VII. It seeks to probe the mysteries surrounding Lambert Simnel, raising questions about his identity and the roots and ramifications of the movement that centred on him. Above all, it charts the progress of the conspiracy and rebellion, from the raising of troops in the Netherlands and Ireland to the coronation' in Dubli

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Stories are spells. Healers have long recognised the need to travel to psychic realms, from heaven to Hesperides, to effect cures. Ancient medicinal manuscripts pair myth and magical incantation with instruction on how to dig up roots, make salves and concoct tinctures.Herba Mythica draws on this tradition and is a handbook for story-lovers and herbalists alike. Acclaimed storytellers from around the world choose plants that reflect their heritage or specialism, and notes on plant origins, symbolism and healing properties complement each tale.Mythology suggests that every bush, every flower is a deity who mirrors the healing action of the plant: Hecate is the hypnotic Poppy, Osiris the oracular Laurel and Tara the regenerative Lotus. And in folk tales, there are Willow fathers, Hawthorn mothers and brides who marry trees.Throughout, Sherry Robinson's characterful drawings capture the light and shade of each plant, reminding us of their

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Hertfordshire is full of stories. The county's proximity to London attracts the great, the good and those less so: Hertfordshire was once home to saints such as St Alban, St Thomas More and the only English Pope, Nicholas Breakspear. Such virtuous figures pose a sharp contrast to those involved in the Hertford elections of time gone by, which were once declared the most corrupt in the country!It is no secret that Elizabeth I became queen at Hatfield House in south Hertfordshire but did you know that her father, Henry VIII, fled a plague-ridden London to a nearby village while waiting for his first divorce to come through? And that just around the corner, 400 years later, engineers were secretly developing the bombers that helped win the Second World War?There are so many tales to be told about this amazing county that it is impossible to squeeze them all between these covers but open The Little Book of Hertfordshire at any time or any place a

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ELYESA BAZNA WAS THE HIGHEST-PAID SPY IN HISTORY.Working for the British ambassador in Ankara in 1943, Bazna photographed top-secret documents and sold them to the Nazis. So started his career as a ‘walk-in’, a freelance spy whose loyalties lay with the highest bidder. His codename was Cicero.But a beautiful woman was to end it all. Cicero was compromised by an American-controlled agent working at the German Embassy, who obtained his codename and discovered that he was working at the British Embassy. He fled and narrowly avoided being captured by the tipped-off British. Finally free, he realised his money was worthless – most of it was counterfeit, produced by the Nazi scheme Operation Bernhard.In Agent Cicero: Hitler’s Most Successful Spy, Mark Simmons weaves together personal accounts by the leading characters and information from top-secret files from MI5, MI6 and the CIA to tell this astonishing story.

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Humorous tales, cautionary tales, tall tales, fairy tales, heroic tales the depths of Swedish folklore hold all of the above and more besides. From cunning folk and helpful Tomtar, to sinister Näcken and the Stallos of Sami legend (and with plenty of romance and derring-do in-between) this book covers centuries-worth of Sweden's folk tales, telling stories that have never been translated into English as well several oral tales published in writing for the first time.

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