Search results for ""the history press ltd""

Wolverhampton Grammar School was founded in 1512 and has been on its present site since 1875. This fascinating collection of over 200 photographs and other documents presents a pictorial record of this rich history, concentrating on the years since the move to Compton Road. All the major changes in the school are shown, from the opening of Big School in 1875, through the middle years of the twentieth century when the school's status changed several times, to the advent of co-education in the late 1990s. In between are countless events which will be remembered fondly by past students: the visits of the Queen in 1962 and the Duchess of Kent in 1989, the opening of numerous buildings, sports days, Founder's days and much more. The stars of the book, however, are the students and staff themselves. They are shown at work and at leisure, in posed groups and casually photographed, at school and outside. Staid groups of prefects and staff at the end of the nineteenth century contrast with colourful images from the beginning of the twenty-first. At all times, every effort has been made to name those who appear in the pictures. The pictures are drawn mainly from the school's archives, along with important contributions from past and present members of the school and material from the local press. This impressive compilation is sure to appeal to all who know Wolverhampton Grammar School, whether young or old.

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A history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903-1973

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From Dartmoor to Dartmouth, the River Dart flows through some of Devon's most beautiful scenery. The towns and villages which have grown up along its banks are steeped in history and proudly preserve their rich heritage. This book shows images from the past of places all the way along the river. From the Dartmeet through Holne, Hexworthy, Buckfastleigh, Staverton, Dartington, Totnes, Ashprington, Tuckenhay, Cornworthy, Stoke Gabriel, Dittisham, Galmpton, Dartmouth and Kingswear, archive photographs bring the history of the area to life.With over 200 images carefully selected from the Local Studies Archive at Torquay Library, these pictures cover a wide range of subjects, including: the revival of Buckfast Abbey, the development and preservation of the steam railway, the proud seafaring tradition of the area (from Elizabethan adventurers such as Gilbert, Raleigh and Davis to the Britannia Royal Naval College), local involvement in warfare (from the Norman Conquest to the Falklands Conflict), village life, and the vessels that have plied the Dart during the twentieth century. Of course, no book of this kind would be complete without mentioning some of the many colourful legends and folk stories that abound concerning this area and Mike Holgate has used many such tales in this expertly written captions.People who enjoy a long-standing association with the area will love the nostalgia of this book - which takes the reader both along the river and down memory lane! Those who are of a more recent association with the area will love the nostalgia of this book - which takes the reader both along the river and down memory lane! Those who are of a more recent association with the River Dart will delight in seeing its history displayed through high-quality images and comprehensive text.

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This incredible collection of over 200 old photographs and illustrations in and around Berwick-upon-Tweed beautifully portrays the town as it used to be. Through these pictures we discover all aspects of the town, from buildings and shops which no longer exist through the shipping industry to the military history of the area and the work and leisure activities of Berwick people. Berwick has an unique history both as a frontier town and an important trading port. Periods of prosperity, for example through fishing and mining, have been interspersed with periods of deprivation. The traditional net and coble salmon fishing industry at the mouth of the River Tweed has been an important feature of Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal for 1,000 years. When the fishing stations closed in 1988, a whole way of life was lost to the community. Jim Walker has been interested both in photography and local history for many years. He has been able, therefore, to bring together a fascinating selection of pictures which will inspire many memories in long-time residents of the area and will give newer residents an insight into the rich history of their town.

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Until the mid-nineteenth century the Western medical tradition rested firmly on the foundations established in Classical Greece and later transmitted throughout the Roman Empire. Against this long and complex background, including both religious and magical medicine, Audrey Cruse looks at the many different aspects of medicine and health in the Roman Empire, especially Roman Britain.

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A history of Roman cavalry equipment

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This book presents a photographic record of the service of a distinguished county regiment whose origins go back to the Seven Years' War, in the middle of the eighteenth century. Formed in 1881, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the KSLI, formerly the 53rd and 85th Regiments, did tours of duty around the world in the days of the Empire - serving in India, the Far East, the West Indies, and the Mediterranean. This book also shows the KSLI on active service which took them to Egypt in 1882, the Sudan in 1885, and South Africa during the Boer War.Much expanded, the KSLI rendered outstanding service during the First World War. The eight battalions that went overseas served on the Western Front (notably in the Ypres Salient, on the Somme, and in the great offensives of 1918), in Palestine and in Salonika. During the Second World War, the KSLI played a major part in engagements in France in 1940, in Tunisia, in Italy and in North West Europe. Post-war campaigning took them back to Palestine, to Korea, and to Kenya, with peaceful interludes in Germany and Malaysia. The regiment ceased to exist as a distinct unit in 1968, when it was absorbed into the new Light Infantry as the 3rd Battalion.This fascinating book presents a vivid picture of the life of the regiment in times of peace and war through photographs from the regimental archives, the majority of which have never before been published.

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A second collection of over 200 black-and-white photographs with captions, charting the history of Glamorgan County Cricket Club from 1897-1997.

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A history of Bellingham, North Tynedale & Redesdale

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A history of Bedminster.

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Glamorgan County Cricket Club

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This book is part of the Images of Wales series, which uses old photographs and archived images to show the history of various local areas in Wales, through their streets, shops, pubs, and people.

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The story of A V Roe and Company Ltd (Avro) begins in the very earliest years of aviation, only three years after man's first powered flight. Alliot Verdon Roe was one of Britain's pioneer aviators and in 1910 he founded the company that bears his name. Famous for well-designed, reliable aeroplanes, Avro's greatest achievements were two bombers - the Lancaster and the Vulcan, which captivate public imagination to this day. Avro expert Harry Holmes has written the complete history of this much-loved manufacturer, from the earliest years to the revival of the Avro name by BAe. First published in 1994, Avro - The History of an Aircraft Company has been updated and completely re-illustrated for this edition.

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This fascinating collection of around 200 old photographs shows many scenes from the recent past of this attractive seaside town on the Yorkshire coast. The town was once described as 'consisting of three streets, one known in parts as Westgate, Market Place and Southgate. Another known as Eastgate and a third, which is called Newbegin extending some three hundred yards, more or less, towards the sea'. Although written over two hundred years ago, this description still fits the town today. After centuries of gradual evolution, the pace of change accelerated following the opening of the Hull to Hornsea railway in the late nineteenth century and the building of the ill-fated pier. The railway opened up Hornsea as a sea-side resort and the resulting increase in affluence brought changes to Hornsea that can be readily followed in the pages of this book.

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'Based on eye-witness accounts, Robert Pike’s moving book vividly depicts the lives of the villagers who were caught up in the tragedy of Oradour-sur-Glane and brings their experiences to our attention for the first time.' - Hanna Diamond, author of Fleeing HitlerOn 10 June 1944, four days after Allied forces landed in Normandy, the picturesque village of Oradour-sur-Glane in the rural heart of France was destroyed by an armoured SS Panzer division. Six hundred and forty-three men, women and children were murdered in the nation’s worst wartime atrocity. Today, Oradour is remembered as a ‘martyred village’ and its ruins preserved, but the stories of its inhabitants lie buried under the rubble of the intervening decades. Silent Village gathers the powerful testimonies of survivors in the first account of Oradour as it was both before the tragedy and in its aftermath. Why this peaceful community was chosen for extermination has remained a mystery. Putting aside contemporary hearsay, Nazi rhetoric and revisionist theories, Robert Pike returns to the archival evidence to narrate the tragedy as it truly happened – and give voice to the anguish of those left behind.

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After listening to his mother-in-law talking about her experiences in the Second World War, David Bolton set out to record the wartime memories of British women before it was too late. Many of those he interviewed were child evacuees, some were single mothers, two were ambulance drivers and another was the girlfriend of an American GI killed on D-Day. Other women remembered their experiences working as a young doctor in a POW camp, in a munitions factory filling shells or as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park.War Stories archives the memories of over fifty women in their own words, supplemented by memoirs and diary entries. All tell their very personal war stories with honesty, humour, an amazing memory for detail and a boldness sometimes bordering on the confessional – perhaps because this was their last chance to describe what it was really like to be female in those extraordinary times.

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At the beginning of the 20th century, monarchy was by far the most common form of government. Today, their number has diminished, yet they continue to have charisma. This text examines the common denominators in those countries which have retained their monarchies and concludes with an argument for the role they play as agents of continuity.

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Gosport is an ancient Hampshire borough that borders the Solent – the sheltered part of the English Channel that separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland, an area vital in Britain’s defence.Geographically unique and home to many historically important buildings, it is no surprise that this Heritage Action Zone, recognised by Historic England in 2019, has drawn the attention of civic associations such as The Gosport Society, government agencies, and preservation and restoration property groups such as the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust. Working in conjunction with the Gosport Borough Council and other private and public sector interests, they aim to record, restore and re-purpose these historic sites for generations to come.In Gosport: Conservation and Heritage, local authors – experts in the fields of urban and natural restoration, history and heritage – have come together to tell the fascinating 800-year-old story of a maritime town inescapably connected with the defence of the realm.

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Guildford’s history dates from Saxon times, and the town has been the residence of kings and many famous men and women, particularly since Henry II turned the Norman castle into a luxurious palace in the twelfth century. Also amongst the town’s famous and influential faces was George Abbot, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1611 and was one of the translators of the King James Bible and founded Abbot’s Hospital in 1619 – an early example of ‘sheltered housing’, which still fulfils that role to this day. High above the town is the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Consecrated in 1961, it was the first cathedral to be built in the South of England since the Reformation. Below it is the University of Surrey, which received its Royal Charter just a few years later.Guildford’s people and visitors throughout history come to life in this well-researched account, which also examines the town’s architectural development and heritage, from the castle and medieval guildhall to the modern cathedral and beyond, portraying Guildford’s significance on a national and sometimes international scale.

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Christchurch owes its existence to its natural features. The town is surrounded by large wide marshes at the confluence of its two rivers, the Stour and the Avon. This strategic position gave Christchurch its former name Tweoxneam, ‘the town between the rivers’. Its harbour was sheltered by nearby Hengistbury Head, an easily defensible site in more turbulent days, as well as an excellent look-out point. Its skyline is dominated by the Priory, founded in AD 994, which was famous in the Middle Ages for its relics and attracted many pilgrims. The importance of the Priory gave the prospering town its new name, ‘Crischurche de Twenham’.After the Reformation and, a century later, the Civil War, Christchurch fell into decline and became a small fishing town. A 17th-century scheme to make the Avon navigable up to Salisbury was drawn up, but never materialised. The close proximity of the New Forest led to smuggling activities and several buildings in the town boast their smuggling tales. A more legitimate industry that brough some fame to the town was the manufacture of fusee watch chains, but it was not until the 19th century that significant growth in size began, triggered by the advent of the railway and road improvements. Fortunately, the camera had been invented in time to record the Victorian development of the ancient town’s past and to give vivid insight into life in Christchurch up to the outbreak of the Second World War.Christine Taylor’s book is as entertaining as it is informative and this new edition will be as popular with the many visitors to the area as it will be fascinating for all who live in the modern town.

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There is a time and a season to all things, and death is an inevitable part of the circle of life.Oral traditions from all over the world are full of stories giving shape to the very human wish to defy death – our own death and the deaths of others. Folk Tales of the Ever After is a collection of traditional tales from a range of cultures which is, by turns, funny, challenging and touching.From a man in Baghdad who tries to outrun Death, to Sir Lancelot’s ride on the hangman’s cart and an Ancient Sumerian ball game that leads to a trip to the underworld, storytellers Fiona and June invite you to share stories from their repertoire, and insights into their working practice, as a journey through the mysteries of death, dying,bereavement, loss, grief and the ever after.

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Fast-paced and fact-packed, this compendium revels in Carmarthenshire's rich heritage and what makes it special in areas such as culture, landscape, wildlife, food and sport.This whistle-stop tour through the ‘Garden of Wales’ covers both celebrated characters and murky pasts, taking in the county’s breathtaking castles, nature reserves and famous landmarks along the way. From the county gaol and asylum to school strikes and industrial riots, this is a book you won’t want to put down.

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Did you know? The world’s worst novelist, Amanda McKittrick Ros, was born near Ballynahinch. The entire Kilkeel fishing fleet was sunk by a German U-boat on 30 May 1918 without the loss of a single life. Sir Hans Sloane, whose collection formed the foundation of the British Museum, was born in Killyleagh. The Little Book of County Down is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this ancient county of Northern Ireland. Here you will find out about Co. Down’s history, its literary heritage, its churches and castles, its festivals and fairs, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. A reliable and quirky guide, this little reference book can be dipped into time and again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this fascinating county.

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Alan Turing was an extraordinary man who crammed into his 42 years the careers of mathematician, codebreaker, computer scientist and biologist. He is widely regarded as a war hero grossly mistreated by his unappreciative country, and it has become hard to disentangle the real man from the story. Now Dermot Turing has taken a fresh look at the influences on his uncle’s life and creativity, and the creation of a legend. He discloses the real character behind the cipher-text, answering questions that help the man emerge from his legacy: how did Alan’s childhood experiences influence him? How did his creative ideas evolve? Was he really a solitary genius? What was his wartime work after 1942, and what of the Enigma story? What is the truth about the conviction for gross indecency, and did he commit suicide? In Alan Turing Decoded, Dermot’s vibrant and entertaining approach to the life and work of a true genius makes this a fascinating and authoritative read.

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Andrew Grant Forsyth’s impressive catalogue of previously unpublished photographs portrays the work of locomotives from all parts of the former LNER territories between 1947 and 1958. On trips to sheds and stations across eastern England, he photographed a wide variety of stock, including the former Hull and Barnsley Railway tanks, North Eastern Railway ‘Q’ Classes, Nigel Gresley’s Class A3 and A4, and the Arthur Peppercorn ‘Pacifics’. From Newcastle to north London, East and North Eastern Steam is a valuable collection that provides a unique insight into the changing scene of locomotive power in the mid-twentieth century.

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As Hitler's dreams of a Thousand Year Reich crumbled in the face of overwhelming assaults from both East and West in the first months of 1945 the heavily out numbered German armed forces were still capable of fighting with a tenacity and professionalism at odds with the desperate circumstances. While Hitler fantasized about deploying divisions and armies that had long since ceased to exist, boys of fifteen, officer cadets, sailors and veterans of the Great War joined the survivors of shattered formations on the front line. Leading historian Tony Le Tissier gives a German perspective to the mayhem and bloodshed of the last months of the Second World War in Europe. Teenaged Flak auxiliaries recount their experiences alongside veteran Panzergrenadiers attempting to break out of Soviet encirclement. Struggles between the military, industry and the Nazi Party for influence over the defenders of Berlin contrast with a key participant's account of Goebbel's abortive attempt to conclude a cease-fire with the Soviets. This is fascinating reading for anybody interested in the ordinary soldier's experience of the culminating battles in central Europe in 1945.

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Winchester is world famous as the ancient capital of England. Much of the medieval heritage of the city survives today, as revealed in the pages of this book, together with more recent scenes, in a series of pictures carefully selected to illustrate the development of Winchester and how it has changed through the centuries. Each picture has been meticulously researched, using an unprecedented range of sources, to provide a wealth of information and new insights into the city’s past.The book concentrates on the period since the 18th century, when the city was at its lowest ebb and much of it was lying derelict. Winchester’s population at some 4,000 was still well below the estimate of 11,000 in 1300 and in continuing decline after 60% mortality during the Black Death of 1348. It did not exceed 10,000 again until between 1841 and 1851, when a burgeoning population grew dramatically, and the walled area filled up once again.All who know the ancient city will enjoy this very readable and splendidly illustrated account of its past; while those with an interest in local history will welcome its examination of the city’s evolution over the past 250 years, together with the invaluable photographic archive it makes available and explains. The book is as entertaining as it is informative.

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A chance meeting in 1936 gave Lisa and Jimmy Sheridan the opportunity of a lifetime. Keen amateur photographers, their company Studio Lisa was engaged by the then Duke and Duchess of York to take casual photographs of their family, including the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, at their homes Royal Lodge and at 145 Piccadilly, London. At a time of traditional formality, when it was unheard of for mere unknowns to be given such an opportunity, the hiring of Studio Lisa proved to be a revolutionary and popular move on the part of the royals as it humanised them in the eyes of their subjects. They soon struck up an unlikely friendship with Lisa and Jimmy – a friendship that would span over 30 years and yield 13 separate photographic sessions, the last of which included Queen Elizabeth’s young children. This volume charts the story of Studio Lisa, from its humble beginnings right through to the granting of two Royal Warrants. For the first time Studio Lisa’s cache of remarkable royal photographs is brought together, producing a marvellous collector’s item and a treasure thankfully preserved for posterity.

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In 2017, DNA tests revealed to the collective shock of many scholars that a Viking warrior in a high-status grave in Birka, Sweden, was actually a woman. The Real Valkyrie weaves together archaeology, history and literature to reinvent her life and times, showing that Viking women had more power and agency than historians have imagined. Nancy Marie Brown links the Birka warrior, whom she names Hervor, to Viking trading towns and to their great trade route east to Byzantium and beyond. She imagines Hervor’s adventures intersecting with larger-than-life but real women, including Queen Gunnhild Mother-of-Kings, the Viking leader known as the Red Girl, and Queen Olga of Kyiv. Hervor’s short, dramatic life shows that much of what we have taken as truth about women in the Viking Age is based not on data but on nineteenth-century Victorian biases. Rather than holding the household keys, Viking women in history, the sagas, poetry and myth carry weapons. In this compelling narrative, Brown brings the world of those valkyries and shield-maids to vivid life.

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Margaret Thatcher remains one of the United Kingdom’s most polarising prime ministers. This provocative investigation sheds new light on the secret, internal ‘cold war’ that the Iron Lady and her government waged against ‘the enemy within’: anti-nuclear, new age and ecology campaigners; poll tax protesters; trade unionists at GCHQ and striking miners; feminists and homosexuals; Scottish nationalists; Ken Livingstone and the GLC; Derek Hatton and the city councillors of Liverpool; protesters and rioters in Brixton, Toxteth and Broadwater Farm; the far right; the EU; and the IRA – among others. It was a campaign fuelled by paranoia on both the left and right of the political spectrum and fought with corruption, black propaganda, dirty tricks and even murder. Expertly juxtaposing notable events with today’s political arena, author Clive Bloom surmises that the United Kingdom is rapidly changing and that although Thatcher’s ideals seem to have vanished, one remains: the power and importance of the extra-parliamentary state and its surveillance methods and hidden powers in a new age of terrorism. Thatcher’s Secret War provides a timely, critical and compelling study of a deeply complex and controversial premiership. Accessible, fascinating and compulsive, this is a book that may well ruffle feathers and rattle cages. Longlisted for the 'Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing' in 2016.

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In 1682, Charles II invited his scandalous younger brother, James, Duke of York, to return from exile and take his rightful place as heir to the throne. To celebrate, the future king set sail in a fleet of eight ships destined for Edinburgh, where he would reunite with his young pregnant wife. Yet disaster struck en route, somewhere off the Norfolk coast. The royal frigate in which he sailed, the Gloucester, sank, causing some two hundred sailors and courtiers to perish. The diarist Samuel Pepys had been asked to sail with James but refused the invitation, preferring to travel in one of the other ships. Why? What did he know that others did not? Nigel Pickford’s compelling account of the catastrophe draws on a richness of historical material including letters, diaries and ships’ logs, revealing for the first time the full drama and tragic consequences of a shipwreck that shook Restoration Britain.

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John Richardson is an Oscar-winning special effects supervisor and designer, who has been involved in over 100 movies, including nine James Bond adventures, all eight Harry Potter films, Aliens, Superman, A Bridge Too Far, Straw Dogs, The Omen, Cliffhanger, Far and Away, Willow . . . and many, many more. In creating the magic that flows through these films – by creating huge explosions, beheading people, producing futuristic gadgets, making a man fly or breathing life into creatures that amaze and haunt us – Richardson has come to hold a unique place in cinema history. The son of pioneering FX technician Cliff Richardson, he learned his trade at the feet of a master of the craft. With over five decades of adventures under his belt, and a vast photographic collection of unseen pictures, Richardson now lifts the lid on his exciting and fascinating career of making movie magic.

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The photographs in this book capture the gritty reality of life in East London during the Swinging Sixties. As the images graphically illustrate, the pop revolution and the early stirrings of flower power had little discernible impact on the working-class Cockney. East Enders were preoccupied with other concerns: widespread poverty, poor housing, industrial unrest and racial tension. The area proved fertile ground for news-gatherers, among them Steve Lewis, destined to become a distinguished national newspaper photographer. In the 1960s, he covered the ‘manor’ for the local press and picture agencies. On quiet days, Lewis focused on the disappearing vignettes of street life: the milkman straining under the weight of his Edwardian handcart; the rag-and-bone man plodding the streets with his horse-drawn wagon; the bicycle-borne totter with sign proclaiming: ‘Complete Homes Purchased’. Many of the locations in which Lewis worked have changed beyond recognition. Tower blocks supplanted swathes of Blitz-scarred terraces; docklands was recast as the capital’s alternative commercial hub. Now the site of the 2012 Olympics offers new vistas. As the old fabric of the East End was consigned to memory, so were many of its traditions. Here is a glimpse of the way it was…

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The Little Book of Oxfordshire 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 most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia). Combining essential facts with little-known, weird and often hilarious trivia, it is an essential purchase for all lovers of the county. Colourful characters and the general mayhem of Oxford history flow through the pages like the iconic Thames, Isis and Cherwell rivers. Dip in and celebrate!

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Large, lavish and record-breaking, RMS Mauretania remains one of the most remarkable ships ever built. She was to be the fastest and the most beautiful – with six huge turbines and interiors designed and created by the most fashionable of architects – but she would soon find herself pressed into service in the Great War.From the ships that inspired her build to her very final journey, Illustrated Mauretania (1907) fills in the gaps in the Mauretania’s established literature. Through fifteen episodes, with over 200 images between them, acclaimed maritime historian David F. Hutchings explores the life and times of ‘The Grand Old Lady of the North Atlantic’.

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At the end of the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of German children were sent to the front lines in the largest mobilisation of underage combatants by any country before or since. Hans Dunker was just one of these children. Identified as gifted aged 9, he left his home in South America in 1937 in pursuit of a ‘proper’ education in Nazi Germany. Instead, he and his schoolfriends, lacking adequate training, ammunition and rations, were sent to the Eastern Front when the war was already lost in the spring of 1945. Using her father’s diary and other documents, Helene Munson traces Hans’ journey from a student at Feldafing School to a soldier fighting in Zawada, a village in present-day Czech Republic. What is revealed is an education system so inhumane that until recently, post-war Germany worked hard to keep it a secret. This is Hans’ story, but also the story of a whole generation of German children who silently carried the shame of what they suffered into old age.

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Joan Rhodes would leave audiences speechless as she bent steel bars with her teeth, ripped large phone books into quarters, and lifted two men at a time. But what she did was real. Joan had a superstrength, forged out of desperation to survive. Born into poverty in 1920s London and abandoned by her parents, Joan endured a spell in the workhouse. Despite the worst possible start, she made it to the top of her profession to rub shoulders with the likes of Fred Astaire, Bob Hope and Sammy Davis Jnr. Joan's crowning glory was to perform for the Queen at Windsor Castle, and along the way she made lifelong friendships with Marlene Dietrich, Quentin Crisp and Dame Laura Knight. Biographer Triona Holden met Joan in her later years. When Joan passed away, Triona set out to secure her friend’s place in history. She appeared on the show The Repair Shop to tell the strongwoman’s story, and sifted through archives to retrace her journey to stardom. Joan saw herself as a freak, but in truth she was a champion for the so-called fairer sex. At a time when women were still groomed for marriage, An Iron Girl in a Velvet Glove tells the fascinating and tumultuous story of a woman who followed her own unique path.

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People have lived and died in Chester for over 2,000 years, and stories of ghosts have swirled around the city all that time. What is unusual about the city is the frequency of new sightings – fresh examples of paranormal activity.Chester, City of Ghosts is a handy guide to these hauntings, both past and present, and clearly shows why Chester is in the running for most actively haunted settlement in the country. Read the stories, follow the maps, visit the buildings and soon you will agree – and you might even experience some ghostly activity yourself...

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In 1933, the celebrated German economist Robert Kuczynski and his wife Berta arrived in Britain as refugees from Nazism, followed shortly afterwards by their six children. Jürgen, known to be a leading Communist, was an object of considerable concern to MI5. Ursula, codenamed Sonya, was a colonel in Russia’s Red Army who had spied on the Japanese in Manchuria, while MI5 also kept extensive files on her four sisters, Brigitte, Barbara, Sabine and Renate. In Britain, Ursula controlled the spies Klaus Fuchs and Melita Norwood, without whom the Soviet atomic bomb would have been delayed for at least five years.Drawing on newly released files, Family Betrayal reveals the operations of a network at the heart of Soviet intelligence in Britain. Over seventy years of espionage activity the Kuczynskis and their associates gained access to high-ranking officials in the government, civil service and justice system. For the first time, acclaimed historian David Burke tells the whole story of one of the most accomplished spy rings in history.

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Is any disaster really forgotten?It is never forgotten by the survivors who lived through the trauma. It is never forgotten by the emergency services who tried to save the day. It is never forgotten by the relatives of those who never came home.Britain’s Lost Tragedies Uncovered is a look at the tragedies and disasters that may not have stayed in public memory, but are no less terrible than their more famous counterparts. From a late-nineteenth-century family massacre in London to two separate fatal crashes at Dibbles Bridge in Yorkshire, and the worst-ever aviation show crash in post-war Farnborough to the horrifying Barnsley Public Hall disaster – here are twenty-three accounts of true devastation and stunning bravery. They are tales that deserve to be remembered.

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The 1970s were the era of the three-day week, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the winter of discontent, trade union Bolshevism and wildcat strikes. Through sitcoms, Raising Laughter provides a fresh look at one of our most divisive and controversial decades. Aside from providing entertainment to millions of people, the sitcom is a window into the culture of the day.Many of these sitcoms tapped into the decade’s sense of cynicism, failure and alienation, providing much-needed laughter for the masses. Shows like Rising Damp and Fawlty Towers were classic encapsulations of worn-out, run-down Britain, while the likes of Dad’s Army looked back sentimentally at a romanticised English past.For the first time, the stories behind the making of every sitcom from the 1970s are told by the actors, writers, directors and producers who made them all happen. This is nostalgia with a capital N, an oral history, the last word, and an affectionate salute to the kind of comedy programme that just isn’t made anymore.

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Mick Hill’s colourful book is packed with his signature artwork, and skilfully showcases the cars, drivers and designers that contributed to the history of Formula 1. Beginning with the flags for hosting countries, it goes on to show every winning car, with details of its designers, drivers and races won. The book also considers drivers’ helmets, from historic leather caps to modern carbon fibre, as well as the world championship stickers from teams and sponsors, a memento for fans of the race meetings they attended. A complete reference of the first 70 years of the F1 championship, this book will appeal to motor racing fans young and old.

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New Zealand’s prime minister has been hailed as a leader for a new generation, tired of inaction in the face of issues such as climate change and far-right terrorism. Her grace and compassion following the Christchurch mosque shooting captured the world’s attention. Oprah Winfrey invited us to ‘channel our inner Jacindas’ as praise for Ardern flooded headlines and social media. The ruler of this remote country even made the cover of Time. In this revealing biography, journalist Madeleine Chapman discovers the woman behind the headlines. Always politically engaged and passionate, Ardern is uncompromising and astute. In her first press conference, she announced an election campaign of ‘relentless positivity’. The tactic was a resounding success: donations poured in and Labour rebounded in the polls. But has Ardern lived up to her promise? What political concessions has she had to make? And beyond the hype, what does her new style of leadership look like in practice?

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The Battle of Borodino resonates with the patriotic soul of Mother Russia. The epic confrontation in September 1812 was the single bloodiest day of the Napoleonic Wars, leaving France’s Grande Armée limping to the gates of Moscow and on to catastrophe in snow and ice. Generations later, in October 1941, an equally bitter battle was fought at Borodino. This time Hitler’s SS and Panzers came up against elite Siberian troops defending Stalin’s Moscow. Remarkably, both conflicts took place in the same woods and gullies that follow the sinuous line of the Koloch River. Borodino Field relates the gruelling experience of the French army in Russia, juxtaposed with the personal accounts, diaries and letters of SS and Panzer soldiers during the Second World War. Acclaimed historian Robert Kershaw draws on previously untapped archives to narrate the odyssey of soldiers who marched along identical tracks and roads on the 1,000-kilometre route to Moscow, and reveals the astonishing parallels and contrasts between two battles fought on Russian terrain over 100 years apart.

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Family history is one of the most popular hobbies of recent years, with many looking into their roots and finding out about their past. In this book you will learn how to find dates and events in your ancestors’ lives, and it will help put flesh on the skeletons too, giving clear instructions of how to start researching your family history in Birmingham. You will then begin to learn the full story of how Birmingham grew and how our ‘Brummie’ ancestors lived, played and worked.This book is not just a ‘how to’ book, but also tells the story of how Birmingham expanded during the nineteenth century, as our ancestors moved here to find work in the new industries. Some lived in the cramped conditions of back-to-back housing, whilst others prospered and joined the ranks of the more well-to-do. Not just the wealthy, but the poor, too, all played their part in the development of this now-sprawling city.

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In 1981, a group of women marched from Cardiff to the Greenham Common RAF base in Newbury to protest the siting of US nuclear missiles on British soil. They formed what became the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp and stayed there for almost twenty years, in what would become the largest, most effective woman-led protest since the Suffrage campaign. Out of the Darkness reunites the women of Greenham to share their recollections of the highs and lows of camp life, explore how they organised, and uncover the non-violent ways they challenged military, police and cultural forces, all in the name of peace. Whether freeing MoD geese or dancing on silos, whether composing songs to put their cases across in court or kissing in the face of advancing police, this is the story of the power of creativity, wit and courage, and the sisterhood the Greenham women created. This book celebrates the Greenham pioneers of peaceful protest and hopes to inspire a new generation of activists.

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The life of the travelling musician hasn't changed much over the millennia. For a prehistoric harper, a medieval fiddler or a modern guitar player, the experience is pretty much the same: there are times when everything goes well and others when nothing does.But it's not just performing that can go wrong – listening can also be dangerous! Can you stop dancing when you get tired or must you keep going until the music stops … if it ever does? What happens if it carries on past midnight? What if it turns you to stone?Pete Castle has selected a variety of traditional tales from all over the UK (and a few from further afield) to enthral you, whether you are a musician, a dancer, or a reader who likes to keep dangerous things like singing and dancing at arm's length.

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Ever wanted to illustrate a book? Now you can. 'What is the use of a book, ' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversations?' In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland a bored Alice follows a White Rabbit down a hole and into a bizarre world where nothing makes sense – especially not the people or animals who live there. Here, the original story is accompanied by empty frames waiting to be filled with your own art. Bring Alice, the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts to life in your unique version of this classic tale and capture the grin of the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts playing croquet with a flamingo and a tea party with the Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse.

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