Search results for ""Author Paul Gannon""

The story of Bletchley Park’s codebreaking operations in the Second World War is now well known, but its counterparts in the First World War – Room 40 & MI1(b) – remain in the shadows, despite their involvement in and influence on most of the major events of that war. From the First Battle of the Marne, the shelling of Scarborough, the battles of Jutland and the Somme in 1916, to the battles on the Western Front in 1918, the German naval mutiny and the Zimmermann Telegram, this cast of characters – several of them as eccentric as anyone from Bletchley Park in the Second World War – secretly guided the outcome of the ‘Great War’ from the confines of a few smoke-filled rooms. Using hundreds of intercepted and decrypted German military, naval and diplomatic messages, bestselling author Paul Gannon reveals the fascinating story of British codebreaking operations. By drawing on many newly discovered archival documents that challenge misleading stories about Room 40 & MI1(b), he reveals a sophisticated machine in operation.

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This is the story of the Peak landscape from its tropical beginnings to its rugged gritty present. Limestone reefs grow in the shallows of tropical seas, taking captive fossilised sea creatures. As the seas shift and coastlines change, sandstones build on the banks of a great river delta. Forests of giant ferns take hold of the land, leaving behind a legacy of coal and bitumen. From the water worn limestone of the White Peak to the wind sculpted sandstones of the Dark Peak, the landscape here is always atmospheric. There are mysterious dry valleys with no sign of running water, caves adorned with sumptuous stalactite chandeliers and the remains of an industrial era built on mineral riches. Paul leads you on a series of fifteen walks which afford spectacular views of the best of the Peak District scenery and reveal evidence of the landscape's intriguing history. In the first half of the book Paul tells the story of the Dark and White Peaks. How limestone reefs grew upon the basement bedrock and the shifting seas deposited layers of sandstone and shale. Tectonic forces buckled and tilted these beds of sedimentary rock to create the rocky edges and tors which characterise the Peak District. The second half of the book details fifteen walks, from easy to challenging, which reveal the geological drama.

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The Scottish Highlands are home to Britain's most spectacular mountain scenery. The stark hills, fearful crags, glorious glens and sparkling lochans make for a wide range of landscapes and have attracted generations of landscape lovers, hillwalkers and mountaineers. This book is intended to help those who adore this landscape to gain an insight into the geological forces that shaped it. The first half of the book tells the story of how the rocks were created and shaped by the gross forces of plate tectonics, colliding continents, volcanoes, mountain building and glaciation. The second half of the book details 18 walks with a variety of geological features set among consistently fantastic views. The walks are widely spread, encompassing the isolated peaks of Sutherland in the far northwest, the rolling granite massif of the Cairngorms in the east, the haunting beauty of the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the west and a select choice from the vast range of stunning mountains in the central and southern Highlands.

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This is the last untold story of Bletchley Park. Using recently declassified information, Paul Gannon has written a gripping account of the invention of the world's first true computer, Colossus.Uncover the secrets of Bletchley Park's code-breaking computers.In 1940, almost a year after the outbreak of the Second World War, Allied radio operators at an interception station in South London began picking up messages in a strange new code. Using science, maths, innovation and improvisation BletchleyPark codebreakers worked furiously to invent a machine to decipher what turned out to be the secrets of Nazi high command. It was called Colossus.What these codebreakers didn't realize was that they had fashioned the world's first true computer. When the war ended, this incredible invention was dismantled and hidden away for almost 50 years. Paul Gannon has pieced together the tremendous story of what is now recognized as the greatest secret of BletchleyPark.'Gannon's book contains a mass of utterly fascinating and largely unknown material about an immensely important wartime project, and is very welcome indeed.' - Brian Randell, TES

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This book explains to the hillwalker, in easy to understand but accurate terms, how geology has shaped the landscape of South Wales. A selection of 16 guided walks is used to illustrate this in terms of what can be seen on the ground. The hills, valleys and coasts of South Wales are some of Britain's most celebrated and iconic landscapes. The coasts of Gower and Pembroke, and the shapely peaks of the Brecon Beacons are especially popular. These varied landscapes reflect a highly diverse geology. From the rolling hills of Mid and West Wales, the spectacular heights of the Brecon Beacons, the rocky outcrops of Fforest Fawr and Mynydd Du, the valleys and moors of 'the coalfield', to the delightful scenery of the southern and western coasts - each has its own fascinating geological story to tell. This book is for the walker who sets out among these hills and coasts and who wants to learn a bit more about the forces that forged this landscape. The first part is an account of the geological history of South Wales, while the second contains 16 walks where you can see evidence of the geology, along with some of the most outstanding scenery of the region. The author has concentrated on what you can see as you walk around the hills, pointing to conspicuous, easily seen features in rocks and the overall shape of the terrain in accounting for the present day landscape.Also in this Rock Trails series by Paul Gannon are Lakeland, Peak District, Scottish Highlands and Snowdonia.

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This book explains to the hillwalker, in easy to understand but accurate terms, how geology has shaped the landscape of the Lake District. A selection of fifteen guided walks is used to illustrate this in terms of what can be seen on the ground. "Rock Trails Lakeland", divided into two parts, is intended to help those who love the Lake District's mountain scenery to understand how this beautiful landscape came about. The first half narrates the story of colliding continents, volcanoes, mountain-building and glaciations in creating the Lakeland, explaining why volcanoes occurred, the rocks they created and how to interpret signs of mountain-building and glaciations on the ground. The second half describes recommended walks of differing levels of difficulty, all with a wide variety of geological features to be seen and, most important, with consistently fantastic views of the very best of the Lake District's wonderful scenery. The author has concentrated on what you can see as you walk around the hills, highlighting conspicuous, easily visible features in rocks as well as the overall shape of the terrain while accounting for the present-day landscape. This is the second book in the series from Pesda Press, following the publication in 2008 of "Rock Trails Snowdonia" (9781906095048).

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This book explains to the hillwalker, in easy to understand but accurate terms, how geology has shaped the landscape of Snowdonia. A selection of seventeen guided walks is used to illustrate this in terms of what can be seen on the ground. This book, divided into two parts, is intended to help those who love Snowdonia's mountain scenery to understand how this haunting landscape came about. The first half narrates the story of colliding continents, volcanoes, mountain-building and glaciations in creating Snowdonia, explaining why volcanoes occurred, the rocks they created and how to interpret signs of mountain-building and glaciations on the ground. The second half describes several recommended walks, of differing levels of difficulty, but all with a wide variety of geological features to be seen and, most important, enjoying consistently fantastic views of the very best of Snowdonia's wonderful scenery. The author has concentrated on what you can see as you walk around the hills, pointing to conspicuous, easily seen features in rocks and the overall shape of the terrain in accounting for the present day landscape. New in this 2nd Edition - coverage of Southern Snowdonia; new improved maps; and, five new walks. Also in this series by Paul Gannon - Rock Trails Lakeland; Rock Trails Peak District; and, Rock Trails Scottish Highlands.

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