Search results for ""the history press ltd""

Cheltenham in the Great War is the first book to portray the town, its people and the impact of the ‘war to end all wars’ from the declaration of war in 1914 to Armistice Day in 1918. Almost 1,000 Cheltenham women left by train every day for munitions work, hundreds made airplanes in the Winter Gardens, many were nurses and most former suffragettes joined the WVR. Why did two schools do double shifts and for what did the townspeople raise £186,000 in one week in 1918? How did Cheltenham cope with 7,250 soldiers billeted in the town and ‘khaki fever’? This book gives an insight into the lives of different social classes in Cheltenham – including stories of remarkable women – and how their war was fought on the Home Front. The Great War story of Cheltenham is told through considerable new research and is vividly illustrated throughout with evocative, informative images, many of which have not been published previously.

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The Field Marshal was a born commander and, besides being a gifted linguist, was mobilised as a Subaltern for the Boer War to act as a secret agent and to streamline the peace process. With an appetite for battle, in WW1 he became the Allied C-in-C of the Expeditionary Force in North Russia and, being ranked as a knighted Major General at the age of 39, he then modernised the Staff training to deal with armoured and aerial warfare. His Generalship was tested out in the Raj and, in 1939, on the day war was declared, the British Army leadership as CIGS was placed in his hands, so that he was able to defend Calais and free-up the BEF escape route to Dunkirk. Back in business as C-in-C Home Forces he was given his baton. Ironside surely had one of the most varied and long military careers of any military leader in the 20th century.

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LONDON 1881: Panic reigns in Bayswater as a ruthless murderer prowls the foggy streets of the nation's capital. Residents live in fear, rumours and accusations abound, and vigilante groups patrol by night. It is not, of course, a suitable investigation for a lady detective, but when a friend falls victim to the killer's knife, Frances Doughty is drawn into this sinister new case. Myth and reality collide in another thrilling mystery that will stretch Frances' powers of deduction - and her courage - to the limit.

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Willy Cockhead had to live with his name. So too did countless others lumbered with ridiculous monikers, safely hidden away in Oxford’s records and censuses – until now. And what names! Some rhyme (Dick Thick), a few are odd (Silly Waters), others you have to say out loud (Rhoda Turtle) and some are just groan-worthy (Blenda Belcher). Uncovered by local author Paul Sullivan and accompanied with strange-but-true anecdotes, this entertaining volume of baffling, ill-thought-out and just plain rude examples champions the people and places of Oxfordshire that got saddled with the daftest of names.

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When a teacher and pupil are found dead at an exclusive girls’ school in Bath, Jack Swann, the Regency Detective, becomes involved in one of the most intriguing cases of his career. Is it a tragic accident, a suicide pact, or murder? As Swann attempts to solve the mystery, his every move is observed by unseen forces with differing motives for him to succeed or fail. Meanwhile, Swann continues to investigate his sister’s unscrupulous fiancé, combat the local crime boss, and persist in his search for the Scarred Man, who may hold the key to the unsolved murder of Swann’s father. But time is running out . . .

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Frank and Percy Talley of the 1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) were destined to leave England to take part in the last, and most costly, single-day battle of the Gallipoli Campaign, on 21 August 1915. In never-before published letters, the Talley brothers describe their training in England and their move to the East Coast to man the trenches there during the invasion scare of 1914 and the Zeppelin attack at Great Yarmouth. Their letters provide a rare insight into the activities of the yeomen in preparing for war, their transportation to Egypt and Suez and their expectation that they would be used in action at Gallipoli. After walking into a maelstrom of fire on 21 August 1915, the trooper-brothers were separated; each wrote home not knowing whether the other had survived. Both were wounded. Their letters from the Suvla trenches are brief but telling – the last, desperate battle for Gallipoli as seen through the eyes of two brothers from London.

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‘This is a very, very smart book. It makes Freud accessible, interesting and relevant.’ - Ruby WaxSigmund Freud is rightly called the godfather of psychoanalysis. He forever changed the way we view ourselves and developed our understanding of human nature. His concepts have become part of our psychological vocabulary: unconscious thoughts and feelings, conflict, the meaning of dreams, the sensuality of childhood. He dared to try new methods and treatments. Everyone knows the term Freudian slip and has a basic understanding of his theories, however, Freud gave us a great deal more. From education to critical theory he changed the way we think. His ideas and clinical practices offer psychological insights that bring help and healing. Freud's work has suffused contemporary Western thought and popular culture. He is the epitome of a pocket GIANT.

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In 1992 Bosnia descended into a savage and bitter civil war, which by 1995 had claimed over a quarter of a million lives. Following the Dayton Peace Agreement between the warring Bosnian Serbs, Muslims and Croats, NATO began its first land operation, taking over from the UN Protection Force. With a total of only 200 men, a British battlegroup was charged to enforce the peace in a 100km area, through which wound a front line separating the territory of the Bosnian Muslims from that of the Bosnian Serb forces. In this updated edition of the acclaimed book A Cold War, Brigadier Ben Barry has produced the definitive account of the British Army’s dangerous and groundbreaking operations in Bosnia.

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A rich, and indeed sometimes bizarre, thread of history weaves its way through the Bristol story. Find out all manner of things, from why a ‘Bristol Diamond’ would never be found in a jewellery shop to why local by-laws restrict carpet beating to certain hours. Along with a fresh look at city life past and present, these and many more anecdotes will surprise even those Bristolians who thought they really knew their city.

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Discovered in 1811, Bignor is one of the richest and most impressive villas in Britain, its mosaics ranking among the finest in north-western Europe. Opened to the public for the first time in 1814, the site also represents one of Britain’s earliest tourist attractions, remaining in the hands of the same family, the Tuppers, to this day. This book sets out to explain the villa, who built it, when, how it would have been used and what it meant within the context of the Roman province of Britannia. It also sets out to interpret the remains, as they appear today, explaining in detail the meaning of the fine mosaic pavements and describing how the villa was first found and explored and the conservation problems facing the site in the twenty-first century. Now, after 200 years, the remarkable story of Bignor Roman Villa is told in full in this beautifully illustrated book.

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The First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today.Great War Britain: Northampton offers an intimate portrayal of the town and its people living in the shadow of the 'war to end all wars'. It describes the local reaction to the outbreak of war, charts the experience of individuals who enlisted and reveals the changing face of industry in the town, including the boom in shoemaking as the demand for hard-wearing soldiers' boots soared. Vividly illustrated with evocative images from the Northamptonshire Regimental and Northamptonshire Yeomanry collections and from the Northampton Museums & Art Gallery archives, this detailed account commemorates the bravery and the resolution of the people of Northampton during one of the most tumultuous eras in British history.

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Experience 100 key dates that shaped Peterborough’s history, highlighted its people’s genius (or silliness) and embraced the unexpected. Featuring an amazing mix of social, criminal and sporting events, this book reveals a past that will fascinate, delight and surprise both residents and visitors of the city.

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Death, Danes and disaster in Dark Age Ipswich! The castles are burning! Attacks, rebellions, battles and wars in ancient Suffolk! Queen of Blood and Fire! The dark days of Bloody Mary revealed! Sea of blood! Smugglers, sea battles, U-Boats and invasions along the Suffolk coast! The Zeppelins are coming! Bombs and bodies in the First World War! Suffolk has one of the most amazing histories of any British county. Betrayals, conspiracies and invasions have left their mark on this eastern frontier. Discover how vicious power struggles between the Danes and the Vikings shaped the history of not just the county, but the United Kingdom as a whole. Read of the troublesome Bigod dynasty, the Suffolk city under the sea and the strange story of the thousands of burnt corpses that washed up on the county’s beaches during the Second World War. Discover the dark truth inside!

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Experience 100 key dates that shaped Norwich's history, highlighted its people's genius (or silliness) and embraced the unexpected. Featuring an amazing mix of pivotal, social, criminal and sporting events, this book reveals a past that will fascinate, delight and even shock residents and visitors alike.

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The Little Book of Yorkshire 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. The county’s most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters, royal connections and literally hundreds of wacky facts about Yorkshire’s landscape, cities, towns and villages (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia), come together to make it essential reading for visitors and locals alike. Soak up the vast array of quirky tales from the regal Richmond of John of Gaunt to the sporting Barnsley of Dickie Bird. A handy little book for residents and visitors alike.

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Sir William Davenant (1606–1668) – Poet Laureate and Civil War hero – is one of the most influential and neglected figures in the history of British theatre. He introduced ‘opera’, actresses, scenes and the proscenium arch to the English stage. Narrowly escaping execution for his Royalist activities during the Civil War, he revived theatrical performances in London, right under Oliver Cromwell’s nose. Nobody, perhaps, did more to secure Shakespeare’s reputation or to preserve the memory of the Bard. Davenant was known to boast over a glass of wine that he wrote ‘with the very spirit’ of Shakespeare and was happy to be thought of as Shakespeare’s son. By recounting the story of his eventful life backwards, through his many trials and triumphs, this biography culminates with a fresh examination of the vexed issue of Davenant’s paternity. Was Sir William’s mother the voluptuous and maddening ‘Dark Lady’ of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and was he Shakespeare’s ‘lovely boy’?

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R.J. (Ron) Buckley’s photographs illustrate the locomotive scene in Scotland, witnessed across his long career on the railways. This evocative collection of images commemorates the age of steam and reveals the changes wrought across that era, from the 1930s ex- Highland ‘Castle’ and ‘Clan’ 4-6-0s and the graceful looking ex-Great North of Scotland 4-4-0s, to the ex-North British ‘Glen’ and ‘Scott’ 4-4-0s, the Caledonian 4-4-0s, numerous 0-6-0 classes and the few Glasgow and South Western locomotives still working. By the early 1950s all the ex-Glasgow and South Western locomotives had gone and there were few ex-Highland or Great North of Scotland locomotives in service, but many ex-North British and Caledonian locomotives could still be seen. It is a must-have volume for Scottish railway enthusiasts.

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In 1914, the East London Federation of Suffragettes, led by Sylvia Pankhurst, split from the WSPU. Sylvia’s mother and sister, Emmeline and Christabel, had encouraged her to give up her work with the poor women of East London – but Sylvia refused. Besides campaigning for women to have an equal right to vote from their headquarters in Bow, the ELFS worked on a range of equality issues which mattered to local women: they built a toy factory, providing work and a living wage for local women; they opened a subsidized canteen where women and children could get cheap, nutritious food; and they launched a nursery school, a crèche, and a mother-and-baby clinic. The work of the Federation (and ‘our Sylvia’, as she was fondly known by locals) deserves to be remembered, and this book, filled with astonishing first-hand accounts, aims to bring this amazing story to life.

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The First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: Coventry offers an intimate portrayal of the city and its people living in the shadow of the 'war to end all wars'. A beautifully illustrated and highly accessible volume, it describes local reaction to the outbreak of war; charts the experience of individuals who enlisted; the changing face of industry; the work of the many hospitals in the area; the effect of the conflict on local children; the women who defied convention to play a vital role on the home front; and concludes with a chapter dedicated to how the city and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime once more. The Great War story of Coventry is told through the voices of those who were there and is vividly illustrated through evocative images from the archives of Culture Coventry.

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A quiet market town with no military presence was chosen as the secret communications centre for Britain as the country prepared for war with Germany in 1937. When hostilities began, ‘Q Central’ attracted a dozen other clandestine operations set up to defend the country or designed to confuse and undermine enemy morale. The headquarters of radar, RAF Group 60, also came to Leighton Buzzard to be hidden from German attack and to be close to the telephone and radio communications needed to run its vast chain of radar stations. These directed the defending fighters that saved the country in the Battle of Britain and then took the bombing war to Germany. Close by, for the same reasons of secrecy and safety, were the satellite stations of Bletchley Park, the now famous code-breaking centre; the Met Office at Dunstable, which gave the all clear for the D-Day landings; Black Ops units that set up false radio stations and wrote propaganda to confuse the enemy; and airfields used for dropping agents behind enemy lines. At Q Central itself was the largest telephone exchange in the world, with more than 1,000 teleprinters communicating with all the armed services in every theatre of war and directing the operations of the secret services. Now the restrictions of the Official Secrets Act have been lifted, enabling eight members of the Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeology and History Society to piece together this compelling story for the first time.

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Its garden squares distinguish London most clearly from other great cities. All have their ceremonial and market squares, but none the quantity, quality, and variety of residential squares that sets London apart. The history of the London square begins in 1631 with the great name of Inigo Jones, whose houses and church in Covent Garden were both started in that year. Lincoln’s Inn Fields followed from 1638, before the Restoration and the Hanoverian Succession gave the political impetus to the first and second great waves of square building. This book provides an alphabetical guide to all the London squares, large, small, famous, obscure, existing or long vanished, founded before 1900. For each of the 578 identified there is a brief history, a description of the architecture and an account of notable former residents; for many, a photograph or engraving, and for the major squares several. This comprehensive and unique study also includes an index of notable residents, architects, builders, and developers, and a select bibliography.

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Was Philip de László a secret agent and was MI5’s source really as they claimed? Did an enemy spy really paint the portrait of the young Princess Elizabeth? In 1917, noted society portrait painter Philip de László, who painted such luminaries as the Pope, the Austrian emperor, King Edward VII and Prince Louis Battenberg, was subjected to a secret tribunal which interned him for trading with the enemy. At the outbreak of the First World War, de László had pulled strings to be naturalised as British, but in 1919 he was referred to a public committee to revoke his naturalisation. With the aid of skilled counsel, de László had the application overturned – however, newly discovered records show MI5 had evidence obtained from a top-secret source that alleged that he was supplying the enemy with important information on politics and industrial production. Crucially, the source’s anonymity prevented MI5 from presenting evidence to the tribunal, which has particular resonance in the contemporary War on Terror. In the only book to examine MI5’s secret evidence, Phil Tomaselli explores these allegations and reaches a shocking conclusion.

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This is the remarkable story of the American First World War serviceman Arthur Clifford Kimber. When his country entered the Great War in 1917, Kimber left Stanford University to carry the first official American flag to the Western Front. Fired by idealism for the French cause, the young student initially acted as a volunteer ambulance driver, before training as a pilot and taking part in dogfights against ‘the Boche’.His letters home give a vivid picture of what Kimber witnessed on his journey from Palo Alto, California to the front in France: keen-eyed descriptions of New York as it prepared for the forthcoming conflict, the privations of wartime Britain and France, and encounters with former president Theodore Roosevelt and Hollywood actress Lillian Gish. Kimber details his exhilaration, his everyday concerns and his horror as he adapts to an active wartime role.Arthur Clifford Kimber was one of the first Americans on the front line after the entry of the US into the war and, tragically, also one of the last to be buried there – killed in action just a few weeks before the end of the war. Here, his frank letters to his mother and brothers, compiled, edited and put in context by Patrick Gregory and Elizabeth Nurser, are published for the first time.

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Keith Widdowson visited the North Eastern Region of British Railways on over forty occasions during the final eighteen months of steam powered passenger services. With the odd exceptions (usually for railtours) most of the locomotives were neglected, run down, filthy, prone to failure and often only kept their wheels turning courtesy of the skills of the crew coaxing them along with loving care. Far from the scenic delights so often justifiably portrayed of the Yorkshire countryside, the ever-dwindling numbers became corralled within the industrialized heartland of Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and Normanton. Here, Widdowson recalls that bygone era, leading an almost nomadic nocturnal existence on his self-imposed “mission” of stalking the endangered “Iron Horses” in one of their final habitats. He was often far from alone in his quest. The “Haulage-bashing” fraternity comprised of like-minded enthusiasts from throughout Britain, often congregated, lemming like, on the one-coach early morning mail trains, the Summer Saturday holidaymaker trains or the Bradford portions; indeed any passenger service with a steam locomotive at its front From the many disappointments of thwarted possibilities to the euphoric joy of unexpected catches, together with over 130 contemporary images, Riding Yorkshire's Final Steam Trains is a compelling snapshot of the race against time at the end of the golden age of steam.

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'Reg Fearman is the man who knows all of speedway’s secrets … and is prepared to reveal them. He has taken a unique, full-throttle, white-knuckle ride to the top as an international rider, a world-class team manager, a successful promoter and a formidable administrator. He has never ducked a confrontation, on or off the speedway track; he knows the glamorous and the murky side of a tough, fabulously exciting and sometimes cruel sport, and he spares no one's blushes … not even his own' - John Chaplin, speedway's leading historian'From humble origins in London’s East End, this is the story of how Reg Fearman became a local hero with West Ham, the cockney giants of speedway, and went on to represent his country, first as a rider at the tender age of 17, and then as an international manager. A captivating mixture of sporting achievement, politics and business and social history, it also looks at how speedway was resurrected from the doldrums of the late 1950s and dragged into a new ‘Jet Age’ golden era, a time which paved the way for the heights that the sport has enjoyed in the twenty-first century as a global phenomenon. Including a plethora of untold truths, revelations and a rich treasure trove of photographs, Reg lays bare for the first time the sensational inside story of the resurrection of speedway … warts and all!' - Dr Brian Belton, JP and author

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The River Thames above London underwent a dramatic transformation during the Victorian period, from a great commercial highway into a vast conduit of pleasure. Pleasure Boating on the Thames traces these changes through the history of the firm that did more than any other on the waterway to popularise recreational boating. Salter Bros began as a small boat-building enterprise in Oxford and went on to gain worldwide fame, not only as the leading racing boat constructor, but also as one of the largest rental craft and passenger boat operators in the country. Simon Wenham’s illustrated history sheds light on over 150 years of social change, how leisure developed on the waterway (including the rise of camping), as well as how a family firm coped with the changes brought about by industrialisation – a business that, today, still carries thousands of passengers a year.

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As the war in Europe entered its final months, the world teetered on the edge of a Third World War. While Soviet forces hammered their way into Berlin, Churchill ordered British military planners to prepare the top secret Operation Unthinkable - the plan for an Allied attack on the Soviet Union - on 1 July 1945. Using US, British and Polish forces, the invasion would reclaim Eastern Europe. The controversial plan called for the use of Nazi troops, and there was the spectre of the atomic bomb. Would yet another army make the fatal mistake of heading East? In Churchill’s Third World War Jonathan Walker presents a haunting study of the war that so nearly was. He outlines the motivations behind Churchill’s plan, the logistics of launching a vast assault against an enemy who had bested Hitler, potential sabotage by Polish communists, and he speculates whether the Allies would have succeeded had the operation gone forward. Well supported by a wide range of primary sources from the Churchill Archives Centre, Sikorski Institute, National Archives and Imperial War Museum, this is a fascinating insight into the upheaval as the Second World War drew to a close and former alliances were shattered. Operation Unthinkable became the blueprint for the Cold War.

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First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: Tyneside offers an intimate portrayal of the area and its people living in the shadow of the 'war to end all wars'. A beautifully illustrated and highly accessible volume, it describes local reaction to the outbreak of war; the experience of individuals who enlisted; the changing face of industry; the work of the many hospitals in the area; the effect of the conflict on local children; the women who defied convention to play a vital role on the home front; and concludes with a chapter dedicated to how Tyneside and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime once more. The Great War story of Tyneside is told through the voices of those who were there and is vividly illustrated with evocative images from the collections of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and other archives across the region.

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‘Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.’ – Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda Dunkirk, Stalingrad, the Dieppe Raid: there were many bloody and gruesome conflicts fought during the Second World War, yet there was one vital and aggressive battle in which no blood was directly shed – that of the warring nations’ battle with the truth. In Battling With the Truth (a follow-up to The Third Reich’s Celluloid War) Ian Garden offers fascinating insights into the ways by which both the Axis and Allies manipulated military and political facts for their own ends. By analysing key incidents and contemporary sources from both British and German perspectives, he reveals how essential information was concealed from the public. Asking how both sides could have believed they were fighting a just war, Garden exposes the extent to which their peoples were told downright lies or fed very carefully worded versions of the truth. Often these ‘versions’ gave completely false impressions of the success or failure of missions – even whole campaigns. Ultimately, Battling With the Truth demonstrates that almost nothing about war is as clear-cut as the reporting at the time makes out. From the past, we can learn valuable lessons about the continuing potential for media manipulation and political misinformation – especially during wartime.

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In 1907, H.G. Wells published a science fiction novel called The War in the Air. It proved to be portentous. In the early years of the First World War, German lighter-than-air flying machines, Zeppelins, undertook a series of attacks on the British mainland. German military strategy was to subdue Britain, both by the damage these raids caused and by the terrifying nature of the craft that carried them out. This strategy proved successful. The early raids caused significant damage, many civilian casualties and provoked terror and anger in equal measure. But the British rapidly learnt how to deal with these futuristic monsters. A variety of defence mechanisms were developed: searchlights, guns and fighter aircraft were deployed, the British learnt to pick up the airships’ radio messages and a central communications headquarters was set up. Within months aerial strategy and its impact on the lives of civilians and the course of conflict became part of human warfare. As the Chief of the Imperial German Naval Airship Division, Peter Strasser, crisply put it: ‘There is no such thing as a non-combatant any more. Modern war is total war.’ Zeppelin Blitz is the first full, raid-by-raid, year-by-year account of the Zeppelin air raids on Britain during the First World War, based on contemporary official reports and documents.

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The First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: Swindon offers an intimate portrayal of the town and its people living in the shadow of the ‘war to end all wars’. A beautifully illustrated and highly accessible volume, it describes local reaction to the outbreak of war; charts the experience of individuals who enlisted; the changing face of industry; the work of the many hospitals in the area; the effect of the conflict on local children; the women who defied convention to play a vital role on the home front; and concludes with a chapter dedicated to how the town and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime once more. The Great War story of Swindon is told through the voices of those who were there and is vividly illustrated through evocative images, many from private collections.

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In 218, Hannibal Barca, desperate to avenge the defeat of Carthage in the First Punic War, launched an ambitious ground invasion of Italy. With just a small force, he crossed the Alps – a feat reckoned to be impossible – and pitted his polyglot army against Rome’s elite citizen infantry. At Cannae, in 216, Hannibal destroyed an 80,000-strong Roman force in one afternoon, delivering a blow unequalled in Roman history for half a millennium to come. The Romans had no answer to Hannibal until the young Scipio volunteered to take over Rome’s armies in Spain, which were close to defeat, and left leaderless by the death of Scipio’s own father and uncle. In the decade which followed, Scipio turned Rome’s desperate fortunes into a stunning victory over Carthage. The portrait of Hannibal and Scipio takes the reader through one of the greatest military campaigns in history, driven by two remarkable and fascinating men.

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This chilling collection of murder cases delves into some of the villainous deeds that have taken place in Scunthorpe’s past. Among those featured are a woman who beat her teenage daughter to death for refusing to get out of bed, a steelworker who stabbed two people before barricading himself and his children in his home, and a policeman who strangled his wife and set up the crime scene to make it look like the work of an intruder. Illustrated with a wide range of archive material and modern photographs, Scunthorpe Murders will appeal to everyone interested in Lincolnshire’s criminal past.

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The Trio tells the story of three war correspondents, two Englishmen and an Australian, all in their 30s, whose friendship was forged during the Second World War. They became so close that their colleagues dubbed them ‘The Trio’, sometimes out of disgruntled rivalry. Alan Moorehead, Alexander Clifford and Christopher Buckley worked for the Express, Mail and Telegraph respectively. Clifford and Moorehead lived together more closely than most married couples, and all three correspondents spent the war years travelling relentlessly, chasing news and writing stories, while being reliant on each other’s friendship and mutual trust. They slept under the desert stars, in sumptuous Italian villas, in trains and army trucks. They were frequently in the line of fire, while their names became synonymous with the best war reporting. The Trio describes their relationship, what happened to each of them in the war and finally, when the fighting was over, how success gave way to personal tragedy.

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In September 2014, a referendum will be held in Scotland to decide whether or not Scotland should become independent and cease to be part of the United Kingdom. In this book, two of the nation’s leading political commentators will address both sides of this historic debate. George Kerevan will put forward the case for voting Yes, and Alan Cochrane will make the case for voting No. In this volume, the first title in this Great Debate series, the authors will present the distinctive arguments for both sides, fully preparing you to make up your own mind on a decision that will shape the future of Scotland and of Great Britain.

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The Battle of Bannockburn is the most celebrated battle in history between Scotland and England. Fought over two days on 23 and 24 June 1314 by a small river crossing in Stirling, it was a decisive victory for Robert the Bruce in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English, which saw a mere 7,000 Bruce followers defeat over 15,000 of Edward II’s troops. It was the greatest defeat the English would suffer throughout the Middle Ages, and a huge personal humiliation for King Edward II. Chris Brown’s startling account recreates the campaign and battle from the perspectives of both the Scots and the English. Only now, through an in-depth investigation of the contemporary narrative sources as well as the administrative records, and through a new look at the terrain where the battle was fought, can we come to firmer conclusions on what exactly happened and why.

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From unexplained sightings to the search for evidence of ghosts, this book contains a chilling range of spooky tales from Old and New Stevenage and the surrounding area. Compiled by paranormal historian Paul Adams, this collection features the restless phantom of Henry Trigg, whose coffin still hangs from the roof of a local bank; a spectral monk seen wandering the corridors of North Hertfordshire College; the mysterious apparition of Lady’s Wood; and the extraordinary case of the Stevenage Poltergeist. Richly illustrated and drawing on historical and contemporary sources, Haunted Stevenage is guaranteed to make your blood run cold.

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Athlete and TV presenter Sally Gunnell, actress Joan Sims, singer Billy Bragg, footballer Bobby Moore, chef Jamie Oliver, author John Fowles, film director Basil Dearden, playwright Sarah Kane, and the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin are among personalities through the ages who have been born in Essex. The county can claim many more who spent much of their lives here and left their mark on the area, including authors Douglas Adams and Margery Allingham, magician David Nixon and comedian Lee Evans. This book features mini-biographies of all these and many more, and will make fascinating reading for residents and visitors alike.

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This book takes the reader on a pictorial journey along the entire length of the Dee in over 200 old picture postcards, accompanied by informative captions. Our journey starts in North Wales, high above the village of Llanuwchllyn, by a stream which flows from ancient rocks into a sheet of still, deep water called Lake Bala. It is from this source that the River Dee flows. The river wanders through the former counties of Merionethshire and Denbighshire, and eventually reaches the town of Llangollen, home of the international Eisteddfod. With romantic views of the ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey and Castell Dinas Bran, and scenes of the Dee as it flows over Telford's Horseshoe Falls, we leave Wales and head into England. Crossing the border, the Dee meanders through low-lying farmland into Cheshire where it encounters the historic city of Chester. We now accompany the Dee on the final leg of our pictorial journey as it turns through the Cheshire and Flintshire countryside and emerges into the estuary to form the natural coastal boundary between the Wirral peninsula and North Wales.

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Walney Island, lying just off the Furness Peninsula, is just 11 miles long and covers 5 square miles. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the island was only sparsely populated until the Jubilee Bridge was built in 1908; before this there was a ferry. Now home to over 13,000 people, Walney still retains the feeling of ‘a place apart’. Born in 1920 and brought up on Walney Island, Katie Percy has recorded her early memories which illustrate the reality of everyday life in England before the Second World War. Evocative and moving, Katie’s memoir describes her struggle as one of seven children in a poor family, living in a draughty caravan in a farmer’s field. Katie had to grow up fast: she would take on a plethora of chores for her mother, taking care of her siblings and foregoing her own leisure time – not that there was any money for treats. Katie left school at fourteen and worked as a domestic in a pub, enduring a horrendous workload and her boss, the overbearing landlady, for a pittance of pay. Later, at the beginning of the war, she was called up to work at Barrow Steelworks, where her insurrection caused a strike among the female workforce. Walney Island Girl is a charming memoir, full of eloquent recollections of family, friends and neighbours.

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The names of Oxford's streets and roads are fascinating and in many cases unique, but in Oxford, as in Wonderland, things are not always what they seem. North Parade Avenue, for example, lies to the south of South parade, while St Aldate's refers to both to a church and a street, though there is no saint of that name. Many names have changed over the years; although present names such as St Aldate's, Cornmarket and Merton Street have an authentic historical ring to them, within the diamond formed by St Giles to the north, the railway station to the west, the Plain to the east and Folly Bridge to the south. Scarcely any street uses its original name. Not surprisingly, over the centuries some of these thoroughfares have disappeared altogether.This book traces the origins of names found in Oxford, not only of its streets and roads, villages, suburbs and housing estates, but also of the various colleges which make up the University, many of which have had a considerable influence on its streets. The illustrations of The Street Names of Oxford range in date from nineteenth-century prints and old pictures to new photographs which show a much-changed city.

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Cumbria Curiosities brings together a series of unusual, intriguing and extraordinary buildings, structures, incidents and people from all parts of the county. Included in these pages are the Fairy Steps of Beetham Fell; Bonnie Prince Charlie's Chimney; schoolboy graffiti by William Wordsworth at Hawkshead; a hilltop tower at Hampsfell which has poetic advice for travellers; and the world-famous gurning competition at Egremont. As well as these fascinating relics from Cumbria's industrial, ecclesiastical and military past are curious customs at locations ranging from the Irish Sea, to the dramatic peaks of the Lake District and the fertile lowland areas.

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The Cumbrian Mountains with their sixteen lakes radiating from a central point like the spokes of a wheel and their numerous smaller tarns have become today's lakeland, renowned for its great natural beauty. Until about 1650 this area was regarded as one to be avoided - it was looked upon as a wild, inhospitable place, unsafe for man or beast. Not until William Wordsworth highlighted the area's charms in the eighteenth century did it become a popular destination for tourists. In his new book Charlie Emett, ably assisted by James Templeton, has chosen 100 of the most fascinating, intriguing and historic sites that the northern part of this area has to offer - not necessarily the most obvious or the well-known tourist traps, but all accessible to the public. From landscape features to obscure villages, from remnants of forgotten industries to surprising buildings, all aspects of the area's history are included here. A treat for local residents and an eye-opener for visitors, Discovering Northern Lakeland will be welcomed by anyone who is keen to know more about this remarkably scenic part of Britain.

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Some maintain that ley lines are the result of some 'earth force', others that they are the earliest routes marked out across the land. In his new book Anthony Poulton-Smith examines the origins and meanings of these ancient trackways, tracing them on foot and taking in markers that have been in existence for millennia to travel in a straight line from Shropshire and Gloucestershire in the west to Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire in the east. Whether they are tracked by dowsing or by a simple line on a map, Ley Lines across the Midlands is a fascinating read for walkers, historians, visitors and locals alike, and provides a very different view of the ancient history of the Midlands.

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This fascinating selection of photographs illustrates the extraordinary transformation that has taken place in Belfast during the 20th century. The book offers an insight into the daily lives and living conditions of local people and gives the reader glimpses and details of familiar places during this century of unprecedented change. Many aspects of Belfast's recent and often turbulent history are covered, famous occasions (even infamous) and notable individuals are remembered and the impact of national and international events is witnessed.The book provides a striking account of the changes that have so altered Belfast's appearance and records the process of transformation. Drawing on detailed local knowledge of the community, and illustrated with a wealth of black-and-white photographs, all chosen from the impressive collections of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, this book recalls what Belfast has lost in terms of buildings, traditions and ways of life. It also acknowledges the regeneration that has taken place and celebrates the character and energy of local people as they move through the first years of this new century.

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This remarkable book recalls the history of the four police forces: the Northampton Borough Police; the Daventry Borough Police; the Higham Ferrers Borough Police, and the Northamptonshire County Constabulary, which have combined over the years to form today's Northamptonshire Police Force. Compiled by a former policeman and current force archivist, it offers a unique insight into the force's history.

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When Gloucestershire was hit by flash flooding after heavy rainfall on Friday 20 July 2007, the result was catastrophic. Roads were blocked and cars left abandoned in towns and villages around the county. After floodwater overwhelmed the Mythe pumping plant near the normally peaceful town of Tewkesbury, 350,000 people were left without running water and electricity supplies, while hundreds of homes and businesses were wrecked by the floodwater.Included here are vivid accounts of evacuation and helicopter rescues by the RAF (their largest peacetime rescue operation to date), bowsers, bottled water and, of course, the gruelling clean-up operation. As the police, Environment Agency, emergency services and the military joined forces to deal with the crisis and subsequent water shortage, contributors to this book also recall tales of community camaraderie and acts of bravery by ordinary people.

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A Century of Bromley offers an insight into the daily lives and living conditions of local people and gives the reader glimpses and details of familiar places during a century of unprecedented change. Many aspects of Bromley's recent history are covered, famous occasions and individuals are remembered and the impact of national and international events is witnessed. A Century of Bromley provides a striking account of the changes that have so altered the town's appearance 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 Bromley has lost in terms of buildings, traditions and ways of life. It also acknowledges the regeneration that has taken place and celebrates the character and energy of local people as they move through the first years of this new century.

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