Search results for ""The History Press""

Running of the Roman Home explores the real 'every-day' life of the Romans and the effort required to run a Roman household. It considers the three elements of housework - supply, maintenance and disposal.It is divided into sections on how the Romans collected water and fuel, milled flour and produced thread; how they cleaned the house, illuminated it, did the washing up, cleaned their clothes, got rid of waste water and sewage, and threw out their rubbish.The evidence is taken from literary, archaeological and artistic sources, and often compared to historical or modern parallels from communities using the same methods.

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This is the history of the ancient town of Bury St Edmunds as you’ve never read it before. Starting with the Saxons and moving swiftly on to the vicious murder of King Edmund by a Viking horde (though he quickly got his revenge on his killer when he returned as a weapon-wielding spectre), the attack on Abbot Lofestan (whose hands were withered in an act of holy retribution) and a whole host of battles, riots, plagues and scandals, this is a shortened history of the town with all the boring bits snipped out. With more than 70 illustrations (plus a grim and gruesome colour section), you’ll never look at local history in the same way again!

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The Mersey’s 70-mile journey to the Irish Sea starts with the merging of the rivers Goyt and Tame at Stockport in Greater Manchester. At Irlam the course of the Mersey is briefly diverted into the Manchester Ship Canal, where its waters combine with another captive river, the Irwell. Soon released from this manmade constraint the Mersey continues to flow unimpeded for the remainder of its journey – flowing past Warrington and through the Runcorn Gap – into the throat of Liverpool Bay. For centuries the Mersey has served as the natural boundary between Cheshire and Lancashire, its tidal flow washing through the developing conurbation of Merseyside which comprises the port of Liverpool, Birkenhead and the former coastal resort of New Brighton at the mouth of the estuary. This book takes the reader on a journey in words and pictures along the lower reaches of the river, its navigable companion the Manchester Ship Canal and the coast of Liverpool Bay, using more than 200 old photographs. It is a record of a major waterway with its ports, docks, warehouses, cargo ships and ocean liners immortalised by past generations of photographers for the benefit of visitors and travellers from around the world.

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The Titanic is one of the most famous maritime disasters of all time, but did the Titanic really sink on the morning of 15 April 1912? Titanic’s older sister, the nearly identical Olympic, was involved in a serious accident in September 1911 ­– an accident that may have made her a liability to her owners the White Star Line. Since 1912 rumours of a conspiracy to switch the two sisters in an elaborate insurance scam has always loomed behind the tragic story of the Titanic. Could the White Star Line have really switched the Olympic with her near identical sister in a ruse to intentionally sink their mortally damaged flagship in April 1912, in order to cash in on the insurance policy? Laying bare the famous conspiracy theory, world-respected Titanic researchers investigate claims that the sister ships were switched in an insurance scam and provide definitive proof for whether it could - or could not - have happened.

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The Highlands of Scotland are rich in traditional stories. Even today, in the modern world of internet and supermarkets, old legends dating as far back as the times of the Gaels, Picts and Vikings are still told at night around the fireside. They are tales of the sidh – the fairy people – and their homes in the green hills; of great and gory battles, and of encounters with the last wolves in Britain; of solitary ghosts, and of supernatural creatures like the sinister waterhorse, the mermaid, and the Fuath , Scotland’s own Bigfoot. In a vivid journey through the Highland landscape, from the towns and villages to the remotest places, by mountains, cliffs, peatland and glen, storyteller and folklorist Bob Pegg takes the reader along old and new roads to places where legend and landscape are inseparably linked.

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Discover the darker side of Yorkshire with this remarkable collection of true-life crimes from across the county. Featuring tales of highwaymen, cut throats, poachers, poisoners, thieves and murderers, all factions of the criminal underworld are included in this macabre selection of tales. Drawing on a wide variety of historical sources and containing many cases which have never before been published, Yorkshire Villains will fascinate everyone interested in true crime and the history of Yorkshire.

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After successfully developing a series of funfairs, Billy Butlin progressed to opening holiday centres and hotels across the UK to provide families with an inexpensive but entertaining holiday. Over the years these centres first expanded and then declined in number due to changes in our preferences for types of holiday. Now boasting spa hotels, the resorts are very different from the chalets of yesteryear. However, the original slogan ‘Our True Intent is all for Your Delight’ is fondly remembered by all of the original holidaymakers, whether they enjoyed one trip to a holiday centre or still make an annual pilgrimage with their families. This nostalgic selection of images, many published here for the first time, illustrates the history of the various camps and hotels, including all of the things we associate with this most British of establishments. From Redcoats to water worlds, and from the Glamorous Grandmothers competitions to National Talent contests, this book provides an enjoyable and nostalgic trip down memory lane for all who know and love Butlin’s, allowing us a glimpse into the social history of this quintessential British holiday.

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A compendium of remedies and cures handed down from mother to daughter from the beginning of time, this work presents a challenge to orthodox medicine and a history of female wisdom which goes back to the earliest times. What are old wives' tales? Where do they come from? It answers these questions, and more.

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Major Richard Llewellyn, who fought at Quatre Bras, wrote in 1837 that, 'Had it not been so closely followed by the... victory of Waterloo, perhaps the gallant exploits and unexampled bravery that marked that day would... have excited even more admiration than was actually associated with it.'This book stands out from the wealth of Napoleonic literature in that it is the first English-language account to focus solely on the battle of Quatre Bras. It is based upon extensive research and in many cases unpublished personal accounts from all participating countries, as well as a detailed topographic, aerial survey of the battlefield. These combine to provide a highly personal, balanced and authoritative work. The author unravels the controversies of a battle where commanders made errors of omission and commission and where cowardice rubbed shoulders with heroism. This is the story of a battle that turned a campaign; of triumph and disaster. It is a story of two great generals, but more importantly, of the intense human experience of those that they led. It is a book that will appeal to both the scholar and the generalist.

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Richard III is accused of murdering his nephews (the 'Princes in the Tower') in order to usurp the throne of England. Since Tudor times he has been painted as the 'black legend,' the murderous uncle. However, the truth is much more complicated and interesting. Rather than looking at all the killings Richard III did not commit, this book focuses on the one execution for which we know that he was responsible. On Friday 13 June 1483, William, Lord Hastings was hustled from a meeting of the Royal Council and summarily executed on Tower Green within the confines of the Tower of London. Peter A. Hancock sheds light on the mystery of this precipitate and unadvised action by the then Duke of Gloucester and reveals the key role of William Catesby in Richard's ascent to the throne of England. It explains his curious actions during that tumultuous summer of three kings and provides an explanation for the fate of the 'Princes in the Tower.'

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It was an age of evolution, when size and speed were almost the ultimate considerations. ‘Bigger was said to be better’ and ship owners were not exempted from the prevailing mood. While the German four-stackers of 1897-06 and then Cunard's brilliant Mauretania & Lusitania of 1907 led the way to larger and grander liners. White Star Line countered by 1911 with the Olympic, her sister Titanic and a near-sister, the Britannic. The French added the France while Cunard took delivery of the beloved Aquitania. But the Germans won out -- they produced the 52,000-ton Imperator and a near-sister, the Vaterland, the last word in shipbuilding and engineering prior to the First World War. They and their sister, the Bismarck, remained the biggest ships in the world until 1935. But other passenger ships appear in this decade - other Atlantic liners, but also ships serving on more diverse routes: Union Castle to Africa, P&O to India and beyond, the Empress liners on the trans-Pacific run. We look at a grand age of maritime creation, ocean-going superlative, but also sad destruction in the dark days of the First War. It was, in all ways, a fascinating period.

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This book weaves together many personal accounts to tell the full story of St Neots and the First World War – not just the experience of the trenches and further afield, but also the impact the war had at home. Letters from those at the front feature throughout, illustrating the remarkable resilience of the men, their wit, humour and concern for those they had left behind. Research, war diaries, local newspapers, and the author’s own extensive knowledge are used to bring together local, national and international components of what was the terrible conflict. St Neots and the outlying villages saw 208 of its men killed, whilst hundreds of others were wounded. This book aims to ensure that these men made will not be forgotten, and serves as a valuable tool for those seeking to read their stories and research their own family histories.

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Whether hailing from the open Pennine hills or the close-knit neighbourhoods of industrial towns, West Yorkshire folk have always been fond of a good tale. This collection of stories from around the county is a tribute to their narrative vitality, and commemorates places and people who have left their mark on their communities. Here you will find legendary rocks, Robin Hood, tragic love affairs, thwarted villainy, witches, fairies, hidden treasure and much more. The intriguing stories, brought to life with illustrations from a local artist, will be enjoyed by readers time and again.

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Railway disasters are almost always the result of human fallibility – a single mistake by an engine-driver, guard or signalman, or some lack of communication between them – and it is in the short distance between the trivial error and its terrible consequence that the drama of the railway accident lies. First published in 1955, and the result of Rolt’s careful investigation and study of the verbatim reports and findings by H. M. Inspectorate of Railways, this book was the first work to record the history of railway disasters, and it remains the classic account. It covers every major accident on British railways between 1840 and 1957 which resulted in a change in railway working practice, and reveals the evolution of safety devices and methods which came to make the British railway carriage one of the safest modes of transport in the world.

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This fascinating selection of 180 archive postcards and maps takes the reader on a nostalgic journey around historic Oxford, showcasing some of the finest buildings and streets in this English university city. The collection conjures a forgotten world of trams, horse-drawn buses, colleges, museums, churches, parks, waterways, monuments and the people connected with them though time. Arranged geographically, starting in the historic Broad Street, the reader journeys through the streets of north Oxford to the University Parks, Mesopotamia and the River Cherwell and its famous punt ramp between the upper and lower Cherwell, before returning by the once ladies only colleges of Lady Margaret Hall and Somerville College to St Giles' and the Martyrs' Memorial. The book will stir nostalgic memories for some, and presents a unique view of the past for others, offering a glimpse of the city before the age of mass motor car ownership.

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The spectacular French flagship France, the longest liner ever built, was the latest transatlantic supership when completed in the 1960s, and, according to most early reports, the most luxurious liner then afloat. The last of the great French Line passenger ships, on the celebrated run to and from New York she was not only the national flagship, but went on to have a most fortunate life with two noted careers and two highly recognisable names. She was one of the greatest of all twentieth-century liners.Maiden voyage passengers goggled at the luxuries aboard the $80 million floating masterpiece with her fantastic interiors, superb service and most exquisite food, yet despite her success she eventually lost out to the unsurpassable speed of jet aircraft. Laid-up, she lingered for five years before being bought by the Norwegians in 1979 and was dramatically transformed from the indoor, transatlantic France into the outdoor, tropical Norway. By May 1980, she began sailing in Caribbean waters and, for years afterward, ranked as the largest cruise ship in the world: an innovator and a great prelude to today's mega-liners. A tribute to one of the grandest and most beloved of all twentieth-century ocean liners, in this richly illustrated book by acknowledged liner expert William Miller we salute the France/Norway!

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The author, responsible for marketing of the Famous Grouse for fifteen years, has been in a unique position to record the decline of the malt distillery and also to look at the remaining distilleries and explain why they survive today. The story is one of politics, taxation, social history, location, supply and demand and sheer perseverance on the part of some. Illustrated with around 175 colour illustrations of distilleries old and new, and of the processes involved in the manufacture of Scotland's biggest single export.

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The history of modern Middlesbrough, which only began with the laying out of the 'new' town in 1830, is a history of people coming from all parts of the British Isles to an industrial boom town. However, the Middlesbrough of the last years of the twentieth century is almost unrecognisable from the town of fifty and more years ago. That Middlesbrough with its iron and steel works, its docks and shipyards and its tightly packed terraces of Victorian houses is a Middlesbrough now gone, a Middlesbrough that was and a Middlesbrough of memories past. In this book, Araf Chohan offers the reader the opportunity to travel back to see the Middlesbrough that existed before the changes of recent years took their toll and altered the urban townscape forever.

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Featuring a mixture of history, folklore and stories of interest, this book explores the culture and wildlife of the New Forest. From it deer, which for centuries were hunted exclusively by the Kings of England, to the thousands of trees that were the cornerstone of the English Navy, this fascinating volume illustrates how flora and fauna are interwoven with the forest's heritage, and pays special attention to its wildlife. As well as providing a backdrop of history, this affectionate look at the forest will inspire readers to explore the area themselves.Each story illustrates the diversity of treasures that the national park has to offer, from its ancient history through to current events and attractions. The author, a semi-professional photographer, also reveals tips on how to spot and photograph the forest's abundant wildlife. Richly illustrated with over seventy striking photographs, this exploration of the spirit of the New Forest will appeal to all those who visit, work or live in this cherished part of southern England.

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One of the most eventful periods in history - the first half of the twentieth century - is vividly and astutely described by Arthur Stanley Bullock in this entertaining memoir. His unique insight comes from having not been in any sense part of the establishment but instead an ordinary intelligent citizen with a strong sense of moral purpose and an inquisitive mind. Arthur grew up in Longhope in the Forest of Dean. After his service in the Great War and his struggle to find employment in Birmingham and south Wales, he worked at Lister's in Dursley. From there he moved to Stroud and set up a business at Port Mills, Brimscombe, just before the onset of the Second World War. He died in 1988.

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Since time immemorial ordinary people have flocked to gaze upon daring feats in the hope of witnessing some death-defying or even death-inducing act. Aeronautics was turned into a public spectacle and exploited financially from its very beginning and thus it has remained ever since. The book sets out to elaborate upon those concepts in the East Midlands, and demonstrates that the region is truly representative of the progress of general aviation in this country as a whole over two centuries. The history covers balloons for shows and sports, the pre-First World War period, women aviators, Sir Alan Cobham, through to private and small air taxi flying operations, Amy Johnson, and continuing up to the present day. Balloons, Bleriots and Barnstormers enables the reader to feel the euphoria and frustrations of the flyers, and experience the same excitement as the people who actually witnessed their efforts.

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Since 1066 when William the Conqueror (alias William the Bastard) took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowledged at court and founded dynasties of their own - several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probable, has not been officially recognised. This book - split into four sections: Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and, perhaps most fascinating, Royal Loose Ends - is a genuinely fresh approach to British kings and queens, examining their lives and times through the unfamiliar perspective of their illegitimate children.

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The Abermule railway disaster is still the worst single line rail disaster the UK has ever known. It occurred on the Cambrian railway in 1921, killing thirty-four and injuring sixty-five people. The railway operational ramifications of this terrible accident were felt as far away as India. This detailed book focuses on the Abermule disaster, telling the story using reports and testimonies, photographs and diagrams. The book covers the accident itself, the people involved, passengers, workers, the railway company, the wreckage, the witnesses, the casualties, the press, the inquest, the verdict, and presents original theories on how the incident happened, backed up by information from the son of one of the principal players.

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This fascinating collection of over 200 archive images provides a nostalgic insight into the changing history of Sutton Park over the last 100 years.Each image is accompanied by a detailed caption, bringing the past to life and describing many aspects of life in the area, including chapters on work, schools, transport, streets, industry and local events, providing a vital record of vanished vistas and past practices.This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of the area, and also awaken memories of a bygone time for those who worked or lived among this thriving community.

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Over the years doubts have been expressed about the accepted view that the Black Death was caused by bubonic plague. By looking at the evidence of tree-rings and ice cores, the author has identified a series of natural catastrophes at the beginning of the fourteenth century, caused by meteor strikes.

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Elizabeth Wydeville, Queen consort to Edward IV, has traditionally been portrayed as a scheming opportunist. But was she a cunning vixen or a tragic wife and mother? As this extraordinary biography shows, the first queen to bear the name Elizabeth lived a tragedy, love, and loss that no other queen has since endured. This shocking revelation about the survival of one woman through vilification and adversity shows Elizabeth as a beautiful and adored wife, distraught mother of the two lost Princes in the Tower, and an innocent queen slandered by politicians.

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This collection of over 200 archive pictures, many never seen before published, highlight some of the changes and developments that have taken place in and around the county town of Shrewsbury during the last century. Important events are recalled, including a visit by King George V in 1914, alongside aspects of everyday life, from schools and churches, historic buildings and pubs - to changing modes of transportation, shops and local industry.Life in some of the surrounding villages is also remembered, including Acton Burnell, Dorrington, Longnor, Baschurch and Shawbury. The county town stands at the centre of an area of fertile farmland but its agricultural importance has greatly diminished over the years as the town has developed as an administrative centre and a magnet for shoppers. Accompanied by supporting text, this book is a valuable pictorial history which will reawaken nostalgic memories for some, while offering a unique glimpse of the past for others.

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The entire Ecuador team - all eleven players - were sent off in an international match in 1978! Because of a colour clash, Blackburn Rovers' players wore white evening dress shirts for their 1890 FA Cup final encounter with The Wednesday! In May 1950 Blackpool signed Billy Wright from a local junior club for a set of tangerine jerseys! These are just a few of the many hundreds of startling, unusual and improbable stories thrown up by the beautiful game over the years.In one of the most individual and irreverent collections of footballing facts ever produced, Tony Matthews has unearthed tales of the unexpected that will delight footy fans everywhere. Did you hear the one about the Argentine full-back who scored a hat-trick of own goals in less than an hour? Remember the England goalkeeper who was sent off after just twenty-seven seconds of a Premiership game in 1995? Read about them - and many, many others - here.

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The British Overseas Airways Corporation came into being in 1939 as the successor to the pre-war British Airways and the legendary Imperial Airways, and through the dark days of the Second World War it used flying-boats to maintain air links between Britain, Africa, Australia and the USA. Post-war, flying-boats and converted bombers soon gave way to Lockheed Constellations, Bristol Britannia's, de Havilland Comets, Boeing 707s and Vickers VC-10s, which carried BOAC's name to all points of the globe and established the airline as a supported of the latest in aviation technology.This culminated in an order for the Concorde supersonic airliner, but before BOAC could take delivery of this revolutionary design it was amalgamated with its short-haul counterpart BEA to form British Airways However, in the memories of its passengers and staff, BOAC will remain the airline that lived up to its slogan, 'BOAC takes good care of you'.

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The famous Mumbles area of Swansea is no a thriving and popular suburb, with pretty villages and attractive bays. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the need for a railway to transport coal and iron ore to Swansea meant that the once-distant fishing communities became more accessible. With the creation in 1804 of the first railway in the world to carry fare-paying passengers, Mumbles soon became a popular tourist destination. Illustrated with over 200 old photographs and postcards, all aspects of life are explored here. Images of working life, shops and trades, schools, religion, recreation and tourism all combine to create a vivid picture of times past. Sure to delight older residents of Mumbles, this volume will also fascinate newcomers and those who have holidayed there.

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A major difficulty for those who wish to understand and enjoy Scottish medieval churches is the ecclesiological groundwork was not carried out in the nineteenth century in the way that was done for England and other parts of Europe. In an effort to interpret what they see when visiting Scottish churches, many people attempt to apply techniques of analysis they have learned from English publications but that way madness lies. Even in the twelfth and eleventh centuries, when architectural relationships between Lowland Scotland and England were close, Scotland followed its own course in many respects, while in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Scottish architecture followed an almost completely different course from that of England. The present ground-breaking work makes good this deficit and analyses the planning and detailing of Scottish churches from 1120 to 1560 with hundreds of illustrated examples that can be firmly dated. The result is a book that will be welcomed by scholars but, equally importantly, will also be treasured by the hundreds of thousands of ordinary church-crawlers who value this aspect of Scotland's medieval heritage. For them this book, overdue by more than 100 years is a must.

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Famous from ancient Greek literature as King Agamemnon's capital, Mycenae was the site of almost unbroken excavation during the 20th century, and this continues today. In presenting a full up-to-date account of the site and placing it in its geographical and historical setting, the author concentrates on the great buildings of the citadel--the Lion Gate, the Cult Centre, and the Palace Complex--which flourished during the palatial Period in the 14th and 13th centuries BC. But she also investigates the legends associated with Mycenae and examines the evidence for the pre-palatial and post-palatial periods. Additionally, she is able to incorporate new information on the town and tombs outside the citadel.

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The brochs are among the best-known ancient monuments in Scotland. However, despite a long and colourful history of research, it is only in the last 20 years that the results of field survey, excavation and radiocarbon dating have begun to flesh out a picture of their evolution and development from around 600 BC to AD 100. This well-illustrated book describes the current state of our knowledge, probes the long-running controversies over their origins and function, and provides an annotated list of the most accessible and best-preserved broch sites. Individual chapters cover: Beginnings; Anatomy of a broch tower; Broch landscapes, broch people; Lords of the north; Lords of the south; Beyond the brochs.

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Personal memories of ordinary people give us a unique and powerful view of life in the past. These reminiscences of Rochdale people were collected by Helen Caffrey in the closing months of the twentieth century. She interviewed a group of Rochdale residents about their childhood, schooldays and working life – the good times and the not so good. Extracts from these interviews have been transcribed onto the page so that the memories can be read as they were told, in the subjects’ own words. The resulting book forms a timely record of everyday life in the town as seen through the eyes of the people who grew up there.There are fond memoriesof street games, church and chapel events, carnivals and shopping but people also recall the hardships of war and trying to live on a low income before the advent of the Welfare State. Rochdale Voices is a unique record for the historian but it will also appeal to anyone who has ever lived in Rochdale. For older readers it will be a nostalgic journey but for the younger ones it will be an insight into a world that might have been familiar to their parents and grandparents but will seem remote from their own experiences of the town today.

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This book puts Cheddar Man into a wider archaeological context and explains the scientific detective work behind the headlines which made him an international celebrity nine millennia after his death.

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This fascinating collection of over 200 photographs and illustrations comes from a wide variety of sources, both public and private, and many of them have never been previously published. This volume covers Stockport town centre, Vernon Park, Portwood and Brinnington, Tiviot Dale and Lancashire Hill, the Heatons and Edgeley, Cale Green and Davenport, taking in the sights and scenes and highlighting points of note. The reader will encounter townscapes, streets and buildings such as pubs, cinemas and shops many of which have now disappeared, as well as some of the people who lived here. These images from the last hundred years or so will re-awaken memories among older residents, while showin the younger and newer residents the face of the town as it used to be.

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Whitley Bay (Archive Photographs).

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Welwyn Garden City

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'I have always abhorred to draw in question the title of the crown, so many disputes have been already touching it in the mouths of men . . . so long as I live, I shall be queen of England; when I am dead, they shall succeed that has most right.’ – ELIZABETH IWhen Elizabeth I died in 1603, James VI of Scotland – son of the executed Mary, Queen of Scots – succeeded her as king of England. According to the last will and testament of Henry VIII, however, there was another candidate with ‘most right’ to succeed Elizabeth: Edward Seymour, son of Lady Katherine Grey.During the early years of Elizabeth’s reign, Katherine – sister of the ill-fated Jane – was regarded by many at court as heir presumptive. However, Katherine incurred Elizabeth’s lasting displeasure when she secretly married Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford, and bore him two sons. The couple were first imprisoned in the Tower of London, then later separately placed under house arrest, never to see one another again. A commission declared their marriage unlawful and their sons illegitimate. Heartbroken, Katherine died at the age of 27.Katherine was not simply a tragic figure, but a leading candidate to succeed Elizabeth and thus a figure of national and international significance. In Lady Katherine Grey, her dynastic importance is brought to the forefront.

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Dan Morrison has unearthed a fabulous true-crime story and embedded it within a fascinating work of micro history. David Grann has competition.' ROBERT TWIGGER, author of Walking the Great North LineA crowded train platform. A painful jolt to the arm. A mysterious fever. And a fortune in the balance. Welcome to a Calcutta murder so diabolical in planning, modern in conception, and cold in execution that it made headlines from London to Sydney to New York.In The Prince and the Poisoner, Dan Morrison unravels the gruesome tale of two warring brothers, set amidst the febrile atmosphere of Jazz Age India. It is the story of a city and an empire on the cusp of cataclysmic change, capturing a moment when centuries-old assumptions and expressions of power become forever altered for Indians and Englishmen alike.Moving at the pace of a thriller, Morrison's investigation of a riveting fratricide among India's rural aristocracy pu

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Can we build moral machines?Artificial intelligence is an essential part of our lives – for better or worse. It can be used to influence what we buy, who gets shortlisted for a job and even how we vote. Without AI, medical technology wouldn’t have come so far, we’d still be getting lost in our GPS-free cars, and smartphones wouldn’t be so, well, smart. But as we continue to build more intelligent and autonomous machines, what impact will this have on humanity and the planet?Professor Toby Walsh, a world-leading researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, explores the ethical considerations and unexpected consequences AI poses. Can AI be racist? Can robots have rights? What happens if a self-driving car kills someone? What limitations should we put on the use of facial recognition? Machines Behaving Badly is a thought-provoking look at the increasing human reliance on robotics and the decisions that need to be made now to ensure the future of AI is a force for good, not evil.

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‘This is a great tale, and what’s more, it’s beautifully told.’ – Simon BarnesFrom Sathasivam to Sangakkara, Murali to Malinga, Sri Lanka can lay claim to some of the world’s most remarkable cricketers – larger-than-life characters who thumbed convention and played the game their own way. This is the land of pint-sized, swashbuckling batsmen, on-the-fly innovators and contorted, cryptic spinners. More so than anywhere else in the world, Sri Lankan cricket has an identity: cricket is Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka is cricket.We all know the story of the 1996 World Cup: how a team of unfancied amateurs rose from obscurity and changed the way the game was played. Yet the lore of Sri Lankan cricket stretches back much further, from early matches between colonists and locals, and Ashes-bound ships bringing in cricket’s biggest stars, to the more recent triumphs and tragedies that stem from cash flowing freely into the game. An Island’s Eleven tells this story in full for the first time, focusing on the characters and moments that have shaped the game forever.

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This is the very first 'teach yourself' book on palaeography, covering all the skills that the genealogist needs to read any document that might be found at any date in English archives.Using a series of graded exercises in transcription, Teach Yourself Palaeography works backwards in time in easy stages from the modern handwriting of the nineteenth century to the court hands of the medieval period, focusing on records that are of particular interest to family and local historians.The book provides a unique, self-contained reference guide to palaeography, and to all the different letter forms, symbols and abbreviations that have ever been used in English records.

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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 that a year of moons has much to teach us about how to live in the world that surrounds us – and how being more in tune to the rhythms of nature, even in the cold and dark, can help ease the suffering mind.

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Carole Lombard was the very opposite of the typical 1930s starlet. A no-nonsense woman, she worked hard, took no prisoners and had a great passion for life. As a result, she became Hollywood’s highest-paid star.From the outside, Carole’s life was one of great glamour and fun, yet privately she endured much heartache. As a child, her mother moved Carole and her brothers across the country away from their beloved father. Carole then began a film career, only to have it cut short after a devastating car accident. Picking herself back up, she was rocked by the accidental shooting of her lover; a failed marriage to actor William Powell; and the sorrow of infertility during her marriage to Hollywood’s King, Clark Gable.Lombard marched forward, promising to be positive. Sadly her life was cut short in a plane crash so catastrophic that pieces of the aircraft are still buried in the mountain today. In Carole Lombard, bestselling author Michelle Morgan accesses previously unseen documents to tell the story of a woman whose remarkable life and controversial death continues to enthral.

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It is more than a thousand years since the exploitation of the elephant began.

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Between 1969 and 1998, over 4,000 people lost their lives in the small country of Northern Ireland. The vast majority of these deaths were sectarian in nature and involved ordinary civilians, killed by the various paramilitary groups. These organisations murdered freely and without remorse, considering life a cheap price to pay in the furtherance of their cause. The words ‘Why us?’ were uttered by many families whose lives were ripped asunder by The Troubles. Thousands of innocents received a life sentence at the hands of the terrorists; these, then, are their words, the words of those who survived such attacks, and of those left behind. These poignant and tragic stories come from the people who have been forced to live with the emotional shrapnel of terrorism.

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