Search results for ""author john van der kiste""

Eighth-century martyr St Boniface, tennis player and TV presenter Sue Barker, painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, scholar Sir Thomas Bodley, actor Sir Donald Sinden, Boer War commander Sir Redvers Buller, radio and TV presenter Ed Stewart and round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester are among personalities through the ages who have been born in Devon. The county can claim many more who were either born or lived here for a major part of their lives, including Scott of the Antarctica, Agatha Christie, Parson Jack Russell (of terrier fame) and Wayne Sleep. The Elizabethan explorers Sir Francis Drake, Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh were all Devonians, as were party leaders Michael Foot and David Owen. This book, by renowned local author John Van der Kiste, features mini-biographies of all these and many more.

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Throughout most of the twelve years between their formation and disbanding after the death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin were regarded as arguably the most influential group in popular music since The Beatles. While seen as pioneers of British heavy rock, their sound also embraced blues, psychedelia and folk music. Earlier in his career Jimmy Page had been one of the most highly sought-after session guitarists, while John Paul Jones was a versatile multi-instrumentalist and experienced arranger, and Robert Plant was one of the most individual vocalists of the era. A deal signed with Atlantic Records allowed them total musical control, and a deliberate policy of not allowing any tracks to be released as singles in Britain helped to ensure maximum demand for their albums as well as huge ticket sales every time they toured. Initially unpopular with critics, they were much loved by fans on both sides of the Atlantic and indeed throughout much of the world. This book provides a thorough examination of each track on all the group's studio albums, additional songs on official live releases and compilations of BBC sessions material.

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This chilling follow-up to Devon Murders brings together more murderous tales that shocked not only the county but made headline news throughout the nation. Covering the length and breadth of Devon, the featured cases include the stabbing of Walter Lechlade, a close associate of the Bishop of Exeter in 1283; the murder of Exeter lawyer Nicholas Radford in 1455, victim of a feud with the powerful Courtenay family; the suspicious deaths of baby George Lakeman at Buckfastleigh in 1817, and of the newly-married Laura Shortland near Blackawaton in 1884; the killing of Bridget Walsh by her lover at Plymouth in 1874; the case of baby farmer Annie Tooke, convicted of infanticide at Exeter in 1879; and the affair between Sidney Chamberlain and Doreen Messenger, a girl half his age, which led to her being strangled on Haldon Hill in 1949. John Van der Kiste’s well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to everyone interested in true-crime history and the shadier side of Devon’s past.

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Passionate about music from childhood and much-respected as a teenage guitarist in his native Birmingham, Jeff Lynne rose through the ranks of various semi-professional local groups to become the frontman of the critically acclaimed Idle Race in the late '60s. From there he joined the ever-popular Move, then helped form the groundbreaking Electric Light Orchestra. After co-founder Roy Wood left in 1972, Lynne turned what had been a struggling rock and classical fusion into one of Britain's most consistently successful and popular acts. Following a run of hit singles, albums, and sell-out concerts throughout the world, he laid the group to rest in 1986 and combined a solo career as an artist and producer with membership of the ultimate supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys. His production credits include Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Del Shannon, George Harrison, and even the Beatles on their two final singles in the mid-'90s. Jeff Lynne: The Electric Light Orchestra, Before and After is the first-ever biography of one of the most prolific and highly regarded performers of the last fifty years.Rich in backstage anecdotes of overheated orchestras, frontmen rivalries, tour mishaps, cross-group partnerships, unlikely collaborations, and self-imposed exile from the stage in the quest for inspiration, this book will leave fans and general readers delighted and inspired by a career at the epicentre of twentieth-century rock.

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Mary (1662-94), daughter of James, Duke of York, heir to the English throne, then 15, is said to have wept for a day and a half when she was told she was to marry her cousin, William (1650-1702), son of William II of Orange (1626-50), Stadtholder of the Dutch republic, and Mary, eldest daughter of Charles I of England, who was eleven years older than her. In November 1677, on William's 27th birthday, they married in a private ceremony at St James's Palace. William was solemn, James gloomy, Mary in tears, and only King Charles appeared cheerful. This dual biography deals with both the 'life and times' of the monarchs, and with England's place in Europe. Interests of the subjects, outside the constitutional, are dealt with, as well as their personal relationships: William's rumoured homosexuality and Mary's hinted-at lesbianism; Mary's troubled personal relations with her father, James II; and the relationship between Mary and her sister and husband's successor Anne. The book also examines the personal and political relations between William and his uncle Charles II, and between William and Mary and Charles' illegitimate son the Duke of Monmouth.

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This fact-filled volume includes UK and US discographies with full track listings and chart positions, a complete list of live performances from 1960 to 1969; a look at the origins of the group s name; quotes about them from such names as Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg, Tony Blair, and Francis Rossi; other musicians who temporarily or nearly joined them, from early stand-in drummers to heavyweights such as Eric Clapton and Billy Preston; their producers, management and inner circle; their connections with Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Donovan, Badfinger and others; their British radio and TV appearances; the Paul is dead story that gripped some of the media in the late 60s; the album titles and films that nearly were but ultimately weren t; and much more. Although the focus is on the group up to their split in 1970, there are also brief surveys of their solo careers and solo album listings. As they might have said, and you know that can t be bad ."

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A Grim Almanac of Hampshire is a day-by-day catalogue of 366 ghastly tales from the county’s past, full of dreadful deeds, macabre deaths, grisly accidents and strange occurrences. Among the gruesome tales included here are the sinking in 1545 of the Mary Rose, King Henry VIII’s flagship, in the Solent, with the loss of almost 700 men; the delivery of a foul-smelling basket to a servant in Winchester in 1825, which on investigation was found to contain the body of a stillborn baby; the story of Dame Alice Lisle, allegedly the victim of a miscarriage of justice when executed in 1685, and whose ghost is said to haunt the lanes around her home at Ringwood; Percy Brading, who killed himself on the day of his father’s funeral at Newport in 1935; and of the double murder of Lydia and Norma Leakey in the New Forest in 1956. All these, plus tales of executions, disasters, suicides, explosions, and accidents by land, sea and air, and much more, are here — and if you have the stomach for it, then read on...

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A Grim Almanac of Cornwall is a day-by-day catalogue of 365 ghastly tales from around the county. Full of dreadful deeds, macabre deaths, strange occurrences and heinous homicides, this almanac explores the darker side of the county's past. Read about the leaders of the 1497 rebellion, who fought for their county only to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn; the fatal gunpowder explosion near Truro in 1864; the horrifying case of Henry Mortimer, who killed his wife, four children and himself at Saltash in 1901; the young lady who was attacked by a giant badger while walking near the river Fowey in 1906; and the couple who were drowned on their honeymoon at Falmouth in 1948. All these, plus tales of poachers, cannibals, witches, rioters, plague victims, highwaymen, smugglers, and accidents by land, sea and air, are here. Generously illustrated with a range of engravings, photographs and orginal documents, this chronicle is an entertaining and readable alternative history of Cornwall.

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Released in 1969, Let it Bleed was The Rolling Stones' eighth studio album (tenth in the USA). This account examines in detail the background, inspiration and recording of the songs, the reception of the work as a whole, and its legacy and influence on subsequent generations of bands and performers to this day.

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Having moved from jazz, Blues and R'n'B to out-and-out pop in his various 1960s bands, keyboard player Manfred Mann went back to the drawing board in 1971 with a new quartet, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, and the intention of focusing on progressive rock. With a repertoire that leant partly on radical rearrangements of songs by Bob Dylan and then Bruce Springsteen, largely instrumental epics that borrowed from Gustav Holst's The Planets suite, and improvisations based around the interplay between Manfred's newly-acquired moog synthesiser and the lead guitar of Mick Rogers, who left in 1975 but later returned, they soon built up a formidable live reputation throughout much of Europe (particularly in Germany) and America. Apart from the Holst-inspired 'Joybringer', a top ten hit in 1973, British success was slow in coming, until a cover version of Springsteen's 'Blinded by the Light' and its parent album The Roaring Silence three years later took their status to a new level on both sides of the Atlantic. This book examines the nine albums, fluctuating fortunes and various line-up changes from what was to be their best and most prolific decade.

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When Hereford group Silence teamed up with songwriter Ian Hunter in 1969 to form a group that aimed to be a cross between Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Procol Harum, they rapidly became one of Britain's most popular live acts, but a major hit single and album initially proved elusive. In 1972, disillusioned and exhausted, they split before being encouraged to reform by David Bowie and finding immediate chart success with a song he gave them, 'All the Young Dudes'. After two years of hits and internal conflicts Ian left and enjoyed a chequered solo career that has lasted to this day, initially in partnership with guitarist Mick Ronson until his death in 1993. The rest of the group subsequently shortened their name to Mott and then British Lions, the latter a collaboration with former Medicine Head front man John Fiddler, although they failed to re-establish themselves despite several solid months of touring on both sides of the Atlantic. As Ian wrote, 'Rock'n'roll's a loser's game'. They won, they lost, but during the 1970s released some inspired, highly individual music, that went on to inspire and be championed by several other acts, notably Queen, the Clash and Def Leppard.

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A compendium of fascinating information about Cornwall past and present, this book contains a plethora of entertaining facts about the county’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, history, natural history, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, agriculture, transport, industry and royal visits. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike. Did You Know? In British law no officer or agent of the Crown, which includes both Westminster and the Anglican Church, can legally set foot upon Cornish soil without the express and joint permissions of the Duke of Cornwall and Cornwall’s Stannary Parliament. Dolly Pentreath (c. 1680–1777), is popularly regarded as the last true speaker of the Cornish language and her last words were reputedly ‘Me ne vidn cewsel Sawznek!’ (‘I don’t want to speak English!’). Penzance boasts the county’s only officially designated promenade, which extends for just over a mile from the town harbour to Newlyn. Founded in 1860 Warrens Bakery, a family-owned chain based in St Just in Penwith, supplies pasties to Fortnum & Mason. Cornwall’s flag is that of St Piran and shows a white cross which represents molten tin oozing out of a black rock which Piran used when building his fireplace.

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In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire ceased to exist when Francis II became Emperor of Austria. 112 years later, the Habsburg empire collapsed after the First World War after surviving many tribulations. During the year of revolutions in 1848 the much-loved but incompetent Emperor Ferdinand had abdicated in favour of his young nephew Francis Joseph. His long reign was marked by defeat in several wars, family tragedies and scandals including the execution of his brother Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, the suicide of his son Crown Prince Rudolf, and the assassinations of his wife Empress Elizabeth, and nephew Francis Ferdinand. He was succeeded in 1916 by the succession of his great-nephew Charles, who abdicated in 1918 and died after two unsuccessful attempts to regain the throne of Hungary, but his eldest son Otto remained head of the family and Member of the European Parliament for twenty years. This book looks at the final chapter of the Habsburgs, from the Napoleonic era to the age of the dictators and post-war Europe.

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This latest book from John Van der Kiste, the eminent historian of European royalty, is an account of Queen Victoria's personal and political relationships with the empires, or to be more exact, the Kings and Queens, Emperors, Empresses and their families of France, Germany, Austria and Russia. Victoria had close connections with the royal houses of Germany long before the King of Prussia became the German Emperor in 1871, and with the exiled former Emperor and Empress of the French and their son, the Prince Imperial, after the fall of the French Empire in 1870. Van der Kiste deftly weaves together the various strands of the relationships-including the close family marriage ties-to provide a fascinating picture of European royalty in the last two thirds of the nineteenth century.

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Home to all three armed services, Plymouth was greatly affected by both major conflicts of the twentieth century. Between 1914 and 1918, Devonport Dockyard was responsible for much routine repair and maintenance work as well as building new ships and submarines, while the Royal Marines and army battalions were active in various theatres of war overseas, and Mount Batten became one of the major stations of the newly formed Royal Air Force. During the Second World War, few cities in England suffered more devastating damage, with the heart of the old city destroyed and a death toll of 1,172. Richly illustrated and filled with true tales of local heroism and the unbreakable spirit of the people of Plymouth during these tumultuous years, this book looks at how the city fared during the wars and played her part in victory.

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Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort had nine children who despite their very different characters, remained a close-knit family. Inevitably, as they married into European royal families their loyalties were divided and their lives dominated by political controversy. This is not only the story of their lives in terms of world impact, but also of their own personal achievements, their individual contributions to public life in Britain and overseas and in their roles as the children of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort.

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Berkshire Murders is an examination of some of the county's most notorious and shocking cases. They include Hannah Carey, beaten to death by her husband at Warfield in 1851; young Hannah Gould, whose throat was cut by her father in a frenzied attack at Windsor in 1861; Nell Woodridge, murdered by her husband in 1896 and later immortalised in Oscar Wilde's The Ballad of Reading Gaol; Annie Davis, killed by her lover in 1912; and Minnie Freeman Lee, whose body was discovered in a trunk in 1940. John Van der Kiste's carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to all those interested in the darker side of Berkshire.

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It recounts several notable cases, from the killing of Sarah and Edward Glass at Wadland Down in 1827 and the poisonings of Samuel Wescombe in Exeter in 1829 and William Ashford at Honiton Clyst in 1866, both by wives whose affections had gone elsewhere, to the horrific murder of Emma Doidge and her boyfriend William Rowe by the former's jilted suitor at Peter Tavey in 1892, as well as the strangling of schoolgirl Alice Gregory in 1916, and the triple murder of Emily Maye and her daughters at West Charleton, Kingsbridge, in 1936, which remains unsolved to this day. Above all, there is an account of Devon's most famous case, the murder of Emma Keyse at Babbacombe and the convicted servant John Lee - the man they couldn't hang. John Van der Kiste's carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to anyone interested in the shady side of Devon's history.

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Princess Victoria Melita played a colourful role from her birth in 1876. The second daughter of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, she made a brief and unhappy marriage at the age of 17 to her cousin, Ernest, Grand Duke of Hesse. In the face of strong opposition from her family she divorced him seven years later and married another cousin, Grand Duke Cyril of Russia, resulting in three years of exile. When revolution toppled the empire in 1917, the Grand Duke and Duchess and their children escaped to Finland, living in danger for three long years. Following the atrocities of the Bolsheviks at the time, including the murder of most of the Romanov family, the Grand Duke believed he was the senior surviving member of the imperial house, and proclaimed himself Tsar. However, they were never able to return to their homeland, and the Grand Duchess died in exile in 1936. Using previously unpublished correspondence from the Royal Archives and Astor papers, this is a portrait of the Princess, set against the imperial courst of the turn of the 20th century and inter-war Europe.

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Kate Bush began her career in 1978 at the age of 19 with the single 'Wuthering Heights', inspired by a film adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel, the first No. 1 UK single to be written and sung by a female artist, and the accompanying album 'The Kick Inside', both of which established her as a highly individual talent. She has always preferred the recording studio with live performances and tours having been few and far between, and all her albums have been very successful at home and abroad, her third, 'Never For Ever' (1980), being the first by a female artist to enter the British chart at No. 1. Her eclectic, experimental musical style with its often literary and unconventional lyrical themes has defied easy categorisation, and earned the lasting admiration of fans, fellow performers and music critics alike, while an eclectic roster of guest artists including Eric Clapton, Elton John, Prince and Stephen Fry have appeared on her work,. This book provides a thorough examination of the songs on all her singles, albums, and occasional recorded collaborations with other artists.

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Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, this biography examines the complex personality of Germany's last emperor. Born in 1859, the eldest grandchild of Queen Victoria, Prince Wilhelm was torn between two cultures - that of the Prussian Junker and that of the English liberal gentleman.

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The Eagles began as a backing group for Linda Ronstadt, then realised they had the potential to strike out on their own. All being accomplished vocalists, musicians and songwriters, they jointly set themselves the goal of ‘number one singles and albums, great music, and a lot of money’. With guitarist Glenn Frey and drummer Don Henley as the combined driving force, by 1975, they had topped the singles and album charts at home, found major success in Britain and across the world, and established themselves as America’s foremost band. The global success of Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California, to this day the first and third best-selling albums in America of all time, proved impossible to surpass, and after line-up changes, they disbanded in 1980. A ‘resumption’ in 1994 was cemented with the live/studio album Hell Freezes Over and their first studio album for 28 years, Long Road out of Eden, followed in 2007. After Frey’s death in 2016, they recruited new members, with a live schedule lasting into the 2020s post-pandemic era. This book recounts the rise, fall and rise again, with a detailed look at every track on each studio and live album, and an overview of original songs and cover versions recorded but never officially released.

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This chilling follow-up to Cornish Murders brings together more murderous tales that shocked not only the county but frequently made headline news throughout the nation. They include the brutal slaying of Elizabeth Seaman in Penzance in 1845, the murder in the course of a robbery of Robert Drew near Launceston in 1862, the slaughter of the entire Mortimer family in Saltash in 1901, and the suspicious death of a farmer near Liskeard in 1952, which was initially believed to be a tragic suicide until the results of the post-mortem examination were received. Nicola Sly and John Van der Kiste’s well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to everyone interested in true crime and the shadier side of Cornwall’s past.

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This book from John Van der Kiste, the eminent historian of European royalty, is an account of Queen Victoria's personal and political relationships with the empires, or to be more exact, the Kings and Queens, Emperors, Empresses and their families of France, Germany, Austria and Russia. Victoria had close connections with the royal houses of Germany long before the King of Prussia became the German Emperor in 1871, and with the exiled former Emperor and Empress of the French and their son, the Prince Imperial, after the fall of the French Empire in 1870. Van der Kiste deftly weaves together the various strands of the relationships-including the close family marriage ties-to provide a fascinating picture of European royalty in the last two thirds of the nineteenth century.

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ELO (The Electric Light Orchestra) were devised by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne of The Move as a fusion of rock and contemporary classical-style music, combining orchestral instruments, guitars, keyboards and drums in the same line-up. Their aim was to continue from where The Beatles' 'I Am The Walrus' left off. After the release of their debut eponymous album in 1971 and a few live dates at home and in Europe, it became increasingly apparent that both leaders' objectives were incompatible. Wood left Lynne in charge of the group to refine their sound, and their ambitious progressive rock epics gradually giving way to a more accessible style. With keyboard player Richard Tandy and drummer Bev Bevan the only other constant members in an ever-changing line-up, by the end of the decade the group were rarely out of the British and American charts. After disbanding in 1986, ELO Part II (minus Lynne) returned for two albums, but Lynne reclaimed the name with an album in 2001 and a long-awaited reappearance as Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2014. This book provides a comprehensive examination of all the group's studio albums.

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Kaiser Friedrich III and his consort Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain, had six children who lived to maturity, the eldest being Kaiser Wilhelm II. The three younger sisters, Victoria, Sophie and Margaret, were particularly supportive of their mother during her widowhood and remained close throughout their lives. Like their parents, they would know much sorrow as adults. Victoria's romance with Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria, was thwarted by Bismarck for political reasons and she married twice, firstly to a minor German prince and secondly to a young Russian adventurer who left her to die in poverty. Sophie married the future King Constantine of Greece, whose ill-starred reign saw them forced to leave their throne not once but twice, both dying in exile. Margaret married a prince of Hesse-Cassel, both became members of the Nazi party, and she lived to see her family and house become victims of theft on a major scale at the hands of occupying forces at the end of the Second World War. Using previously unpublished sources, this is the first biography to tell the lives of all three princesses.

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Prince Alfred, who was created Duke of Edinburgh in 1866 and became Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha in 1893, was the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. A patron of the arts, pioneer philatelist and amateur violinist, he joined the Royal Navy as a boy and rose to become Admiral of the Fleet. At the age of 18 he was elected King of Greece by overwhelming popular vote in a plebiscite, although political agreements between the Great Powers of Europe prevented him from accepting the vacant crown. The most widely travelled member of his family, he had visited all five continents by the age of 27, and while on a tour of Australia in 1868 he narrowly escaped assassination at the hands of a Fenian sympathiser. Married to Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, the only surviving daughter of Tsar Alexander II, at one stage he had to face the possibility that he might be required to fight on behalf of the British empire against that of his father-in-law. His last years were overshadowed by marital difficulties, alcoholism and ill-health, and the suicide of his only son and heir.

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Surrey Murders is an examination of some of the county's most notorious and shocking cases. They include the 'Wigwam Girl', Joan Wolfe, who lived in a tent built by a Cree Indian Soldier before being brutally slaughtered; the infamous stabbing of Frederick Gold by 'the Serpent', Percy Lefroy Mapleton; the poisoning of the entire Beck family with a bottle of oatmeal stout, laced with cyanide; and the sailor butchered at the Devil's Punch Bowl, later immortalised in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby. John Van der Kiste's carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to all those interested in the darker side of Surrey's history.

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The six children of King George V and Queen Mary all lived to maturity except the youngest, Prince John. The eldest, who was Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, reigned as King Edward VIII for less than a year. His infamous romance with Mrs Simpson plunged the country into the abdication crisis and led both of them into a long period of exile. King George VI, who reluctantly and unexpectedly ascended to the throne, was a shy man, handicapped by a speech impediment and a sense of his own inadequacy. However, together with his Consort, Queen Elizabeth, and the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, he gave the nation spirited guidance throughout World War II. Both surviving younger brothers served in the armed forces during war-time. Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was Governor General of Australia from 1944-6 and crowned his military career with promotion to the rank of Field-Marshal. George, Duke of Kent, an officer in the RAF, was tragically killed on active service in 1942. The only sister, Mary, Princess Royal, worked both as a nurse, and a royal ambassador abroad. This book tells the story of the family.

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Free were formed in 1968 towards the end of the British blues boom. After two critically acclaimed albums, the release of ‘All Right Now’ and the album Fire and Water in 1970 brought them major success. Musical and personal differences took their toll and they split after the comparative failure of their next album and single. After starting new bands that never took off they reformed, but following further dissension and guitarist Paul Kossoff’s drug problems they disbanded for good in 1973. Vocalist Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke then formed Bad Company, who became one of the hottest bands on both sides of the Atlantic, maintaining a stable line-up with ex-Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and ex-King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell for the rest of the decade. Each member later pursued outside ventures, although they regrouped at intervals, recruiting new members after Ralphs’ retirement and Burrell’s death. This book examines both bands’ work and career from 1968 to 1980, plus the Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu, Rabbit album, Kossoff’s solo work and Back Street Crawler, with a chapter on their later history, notably Rodgers’ three years with Queen.

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1970 was a year of change in pop and rock music, with divisions between both becoming ever more blurred. More ambitiously-constructed epics, heavy rock numbers and contemporary folk songs competed with mainstream and easy listening fare on Top of the Pops and in the Top 30 singles, while progressive and jazz-rock took their bow in the album charts. Some acts disbanded, notably The Beatles, all of whom relished their freedom and launched solo careers, and Simon & Garfunkel, or else parted company and partially regrouped under new names. Festivals came into their own, particularly in Britain where the first Glastonbury event was launched, as did live albums, notably from The Rolling Stones and The Who, partly to combat the market in bootleg recordings; several singer-songwriters found major acceptance; the death of Jimi Hendrix was widely mourned; and the likes of Marc Bolan, Elton John, Rod Stewart (as a soloist, and as front man of The Faces), Lindisfarne and Hot Chocolate achieved their initial successes. By the end of the year, many a critic and music fan could look back on a 12-month period in which their landscape had altered almost beyond recognition. This is the story of that year and the key albums that helped define it.

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Of Queen Victoria's four sons, the eldest married a Danish princess, one a Russian Grand Duchess, and the other two princesses of German royal houses. The first to join the family of the Grandmama of Europe' was Alexandra, eldest daughter of the prince about to become King Christian IX of Denmark. Charming, ever sympathetic and widely considered one of the most attractive royal women of her time, she was prematurely deaf and suffered from a limp which was made fashionable by court ladies due to her popularity. Alexandra proved an ideal wife for the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Grand Duchess Marie, daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and wife of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and later Saxe-Coburg Gotha, was cultured and intelligent, but dowdy, haughty and, convinced of the Romanovs' superiority, resented having to give precedence at court to her in-laws. Louise of Prussia, a niece of William I, German Emperor, had the good fortune to escape from a miserable family life in Berlin and marry Arthur, Duke of Connaught, a dedicated army officer who was always the Queen's favourite among her children. Finally, Helen of Waldeck-Pyrmont, sister of Emma, Queen Consort of the Netherlands, became the wife of the cultured Leopold, Duke of Albany, but he was haemophiliac and their marriage was destined to be the briefest of all, cut short by his sudden death less than three years later. All four were very different personalities, proved themselves to be supportive wives, mothers and daughters-in-law in their own way, and dedicated workers for charity at home and abroad. Based partly on previously unpublished material from the Royal Archives at Windsor and Madrid, and the Leonie Leslie Papers, University of Chicago, this is the first book to study all four as a family group.

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Somerset Murders brings together numerous murderous tales that shocked not only the county but also made headlines throughout the country. They include the cases of Elizabeth and Betty Branch, a mother and daughter who beat a young servant girl to death in Hemington in 1740; 13-year-old Betty Trump, whose throat was cut while walking home at Buckland St Mary in 1823; factory worker Joan Turner, battered to death in Chard in 1829; George Watkins, killed in a bare knuckle fight outside the Running Horse pub in Yeovil in 1843; Constance Kent, who confessed in 1865 to killing her half-brother at Rode in 1860, nearly five years earlier; and elderly landlay, Mrs Emily Bowers, strangled in her bed in Middlezoy in 1947. Nicola Sly and John van der Kiste, co-authors of Cornish Murders in this series, have an encyclopedic knowledge of their subject. Their carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to anyone interested in the shady side of Somerset's history.

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Born in Birmingham, Steve Winwood was already a semi-professional musician, playing keyboards and guitar, while still at school. As lead vocalist with The Spencer Davis Group, he had had two chart-topping singles by the time he was aged eighteen. In 1967 he formed Traffic, long noted as one of the major British psychedelic groups whose music also borrowed from jazz and folk influences as well as rock and pop. A brief hiatus saw him join forces with Eric Clapton in the short-lived Blind Faith, thereafter returning to Traffic until they disbanded in 1974 (and briefly reformed twenty years later). Throughout his subsequent solo career, he has been much respected on both sides of the Atlantic as a vocalist, all-round musician and regular collaborator with or session player for other artists. This is the first biography for nearly thirty years.

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Do you know? Which MP was the first woman to take her seat in parliament? Who was the man they could not hang? Which member of the Beatles lost his temper at a famous Devon landmark? A compendium of fascinating information about Devon past and present, this book contains a plethora of entertaining facts about the county’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, history, natural history, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, agriculture, transport, industry, and royal visits. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

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This biography of Xenia, sister of Nicholas II gives a new angle on the Romanov story and provides new information on relationships within the family after the Revolution. Important new letters and photographs are also included.

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Born in 1765, third son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, Prince William, Duke of Clarence, initially had little expectation of succeeding to the British throne. A brief career in the navy, followed by several years of semi-obscurity and a liaison with the actress Dorothea Jordan that gave them a family of ten children, came to an end with the royal race for the crown', requiring him and several of his other similarly unmarried brothers to find wives and ensure the royal succession after the unexpected death of their only legitimate niece Charlotte, daughter of the Prince Regent. William's wife, Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, failed to produce any children who survived infancy, but despite their great difference in ages she succeeded in taming his previously uncouth manners. By the time he ascended the throne in 1830, the formerly outspoken prince had proved himself fitted to be a conscientious and astute if occasionally eccentric sovereign who successfully weathered the storms engendered by the passage of the Great Reform Bill. Between them, King William and Queen Adelaide helped to restore the popularity of a somewhat tarnished crown and lay the foundations for a modern monarchy under the auspices of their niece who succeeded them as Queen Victoria. This book portrays the life and character of Good King Billy', one of Britain's most endearing sovereigns. An affable character of straightforward honesty and common sense, an occasionally tactless, blundering character with an instinctive dislike of pomp and ceremony but with the common touch, he was arguably the most human, down-to-earth of the Hanoverians.

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Cornish Murders brings together numerous murderous tales that shocked not only the county but also made national news. They include the cases of Charlotte Dymond, whose throat was cut on Bodmin Moor in 1844, and Emily Tredrea, strangled at St Erth in 1909, both by their jilted suitors; Mary Ann Dunhill, murdered in a Bude hotel in 1931; shopkeeper Albert Bateman, battered to death on his premises in Falmouth on Christmas Eve 1942; Charlie and Elizabeth Giffard, savagely beaten and thrown over the cliffs near St Austell by their son in 1952; and William Rowe, brutally killed at his farm near Constantine for the sum of £4 in 1963.

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This chilling follow-up to Somerset Murders brings together more murderous tales that shocked not only the county but made headline news throughout the nation. Covering the length and breadth of Somerset, the featured cases include two female poisoners, Catherine Churchill, who killed her husband in Knowle-St-Giles in 1879 and Sarah Freeman, who claimed several victims in the Bridgwater area from 1843 onwards. A wide variety of means and motive are covered. There is murder committed in the course of robbery, such as the brutal killing of Sarah Wilkins in Nempnett Thrubwell in 1851; murder through jealousy, as in the case of George Bitten, who murdered his wife at Wolverton in 1867 and even altruistic murders, such as that committed by Albion Wadman near Wincanton in 1883. Also included is the strange and intriguing story of Reginald Woolmington, who faced two trials for the murder of his wife at Milborne Port in 1934. Nicola Sly and John Van der Kiste's well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to everyone interested in true-crime history and the shadier side of Somerset's past.

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Hidden behind the picturesque facade of country lanes and rugged coastlines, quaint villages and busy market towns, the South West counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset have witnessed some of the most shocking murder cases in British history. West Country Murders brings together over 30 cases from the authors' previous collections here in one volume. They include stories of those who killed for greed, jealousy and lust, as well as those who committed murder in what a well-known judge once described as 'a gust of passion'. Some of the killers were undoubtedly insane at the time of their crimes; others were almost certainly innocent, yet paid the ultimate price for a murder they did not commit. Some remain unsolved to this day, despite the best efforts of the local constabularies. This book is sure to appeal to all those interested in the shady side of the West Country's history.

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