Search results for ""nine elms books""

Over a hundred years ago Somerville and Ross galloped across the pages of popular Irish literature writing of horses, hunts and high jinks. Today, Wexford based Patrick Donegall has taken over their reins to record the Ireland of his youth. An Ireland that has almost, but not quite, disappeared.

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From his early days in establishing United Scientific Holdings PLC as a multi-million pound listed company to his sudden transformation into a senior civil servant as Chief of Defence Procurement at the invitation of Michael Heseltine the then Minister of Defence, followed by a move into investment banking and unexpected appointments to act as Prime Minister John Major’s Efficiency Advisor and then run the Docklands Light Railway before becoming Chairman and Chief Executive of the troubled Canary Wharf development, Peter’s career has uniquely straddled both the public and private sectors at the highest levels, invariably in troubled times. In parallel, he worked his way up the City of London’s civic hierarchy, becoming a Common Councilman, Alderman, Sheriff and finally Lord Mayor of London which gave him the opportunity to promote the image and services of the City across the globe. On return to the commercial world, he resumed his post at Deutsche Bank and subsequently joined the boards of Sainsbury’s, Deutsche Borse, IFSL, Eurotunnel, China Construction Bank and Haymarket Media Group. Breaking with insurance industry tradition, he was appointed as `an outsider’ to the Chairmanship of Lloyd’s of London. Whilst there, he was invited by Liam Fox to chair the newly formed `Defence Reform Group’ which introduced a series of important changes in the structure and workings of the MOD which became known as the `Levene Reforms’. Currently he is Chairman of the Starr Insurance Group in London and continues with a number of other directorships as well as his involvement in several charitable and philanthropic activities.

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After a troubled start in life Seb Faber's prospects looked bleak. But an unexpected City job offer and an explosive love affair appears to point to a secure and happy future. However, Seb's world is turned upside down and not everything is as it seems leading to a dramatic and totally unforeseen conclusion.

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Ted Fort's is a life of full of coincidences and lucky pivotal moments, but this memoir is far more than a rags-to-riches" story. Ted writes with refreshing honesty about the ups and downs of establishing a very successful international engineering business, as well as his the peaks and troughs of his personal life.

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On the evening of 18th March 1925, a devastating fire ripped through the Marylebone premises of Madame Tussaud’s. By the time the fire was extinguished the following morning, little was left of the world-famous waxworks beyond a few grotesquely distorted models and a pile of scrap iron, which was the remnants of one of Napoléon’s carriages. Those who now visit the waxworks probably assume that what was lost in 1925 was no very different to the present displays. However, the catalogues pre-dating the fire tell a very different story, for there was so much more to Madame Tussaud & Sons’ Exhibition than wax representations of the famous and the notorious. The fact is that the French model maker, and the three generations of her family who managed the business after her, were avid collectors of works of art, memorabilia and trivia relating to their displays: Madame Tussaud’s was, in fact, more of a cabinet of historical curiosities than a wax works. This is evidenced by the lost collection, which ranged from the bloodstained shirt of King Henri IV, worn when he was assassinated in 1610, to the blade of the original guillotine, via a large collection of 18th and 19th century pictures and sculptures by many of the leading artists of their day, furniture, clothing, and a priceless collection of Napoléonica from the Emperor’s tooth to three of his own carriages. Using contemporary accounts, the pre-fire catalogues, insurance inventories, and with unique access to the Madame Tussauds archives, Christopher Joll’s and Penny Cobham’s new illustrated book describes in chronological order the extraordinary items that were lost in 1925, set in the context of Madame Tussaud’s own story and the historical events surrounding the items in the lost collection – and, along the way, uncovers many fakes and forgeries, as well as a wealth of irreplaceable and priceless historical treasures.

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To give political legitimacy to his Empire, in just fifteen years Emperor Napoléon I created an enduring image of Napoléonic France as the contemporary equivalent of Imperial Rome. He did this by the deft use of iconography and what today would be called ‘branding’, which he applied to every aspect of his family, the government, the military, the monuments to his achievements, his palaces and their furnishings. The tangible remains of this grand, imperial ‘theatre’ has excited royal and other collectors ever since. The Imperial Impresario take a wholly new look at Napoléon and the First Empire by interpreting the era in theatrical terms: the players, the sets, the props, the costumes, the tours and the script, much of which has survived. The fully illustrated book includes a wide range of Napoléonica in royal, national, regimental and private collections, as well as lost treasures such as the Emperor’s campaign carriage, captured in the immediate aftermath of Waterloo and destroyed in a fire at Madame Tussaud’s in 1925. For readers coming to the subject for the first time, The Imperial Impresario is a fascinating and informative introduction to the Napoléonic era; for those already steeped in the period, it is an invaluable companion to existing books about Napoléon and his Empire.

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The plot of The Armistice Killer is as intriguing as the characters who stalk its pages all the way from Cornwall to Afghanistan. The bizarre and brutal murder of a military hero – retired RSM Tom Wright – sets in motion a complex investigation headed by the troubled Inspector Logan. The detective’s prosopagnosia – facial recognition blindness – is almost the least of his problems as his overlapping inner demons and desires threaten his professional competence. But it’s not only faces that confuse Logan as he struggles to read the minds and motives of a compelling, dysfunctional cast of characters, where nobody is quite what they seem, including the murdered soldier himself. Yet Logan’s flashes of intuitive genius likewise constantly unsettle those who would remain faceless. Can Logan and his deputy Pascoe keep on the trail of blood as it leads their investigation up more dark alleys – most of them blind, and some of them heading into their own disturbed pasts? The Armistice Killer’s parade of clues, red herrings, lies and deceits will keep the reader guessing to the last page.

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On 31st January 2010, Trooper Corie Mapp of The Life Guards was driving his armoured vehicle on combat operations in Afghanistan when it ran over an IED. The explosion that followed caused him massive injuries. But this was not the end of his active life but rather the beginning. The next thing Corie remembers was waking in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Selly Oak, Birmingham, not realising that he was a double amputee. Two months later, and having made an almost miraculous against-the-odds recovery, Corie was back with his regiment in Windsor, and continued to serve until 2013. Sport was an important part of Corie's life before the explosion and a vital one after. In rehabilitation, he rediscovered his sporting skills, and competed successful in disabled cricket at a national level, and was a member of Team GB for sitting volley ball and athletics at the Warrior and the Invictus Games. However, when he was offered the chance to bobsleigh, his horizons widened considerably. After just one year of training, in 2014 Corie won gold in the inaugural Para Bobsleigh World Cup competition in St Moritz, was second overall in the World Cup 2014/15 season and became the overall World Cup champion in 2018. In the 2021-22 season, he will continue to train and compete at the highest levels in North America and Europe. On the international bobsleigh circuit he is affectionately known 'Black Ice'. This book is Corie Mapp's remarkable story of triumph over adversity.

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Driving home one night from his mother's funeral, Chief Inspector Dalliance suddenly finds himself embroiled once more in a new string of murders - and a dangerous, cynical game targeting the lowest, the most vulnerable, and the most desperate. His own life unravelling around him, Dalliance is cast out of the investigation under the guise of compassionate leave. But as the case grows increasingly personal, he strikes out on his own to solve the sinister riddle, with or without official sanction. With the victims chosen from the voiceless, invisible underclass, and human life seemingly valued at nothing, local feuds and professional politics begin to take precedence. Perhaps only Dalliance, with so little left to lose, can take on the Hangman and win.

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Harry Linley finds himself yet again at the heart of a chain of events he can’t control. His Russian mistress is surreptitiously pillaging a Mexican cartel’s bank accounts. But no one is sitting quietly at home. Through cybercrime and classic violence, a mob war rages from Mexico to London, as the world’s authorities try to make sense of it all.

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After the first Harry Linley adventure (Persian Roulette) it's payback time and revenge can be sweet – if somewhat complicated…With her husband in prison Ivanna Delimkova unwittingly finds herself queen of his Russian cartel. And now all she wants is to get even with those who ripped them off. But this proves far from simple – none of her targets are quite what they seem. Is mild-mannered Iranian pornographer Shaheen Soroush really the deadly killer everyone thinks he is? And as for his fortune – where is it and can it be accessed? How come seemingly innocent former SAS officer Harry Linley is suddenly so wealthy? Alluring Russian Oleana definitely knows more that she lets on – but will that get her into trouble? Almost certainly. Can the clever Dubai detective Omar Shamoon find out once and for all what's really happening on his patch? And purring contentedly in the middle of all this is Bunny, a Persian cat presumed dead but very much alive. Russian mobsters, ex-special forces operatives, Iranian secret agents, a British computer hacker, and a bumbling MI6 analyst with a knack for accidentally predicting the next international crisis, these are all the ingredients for a masterful and humorous thriller that races between the Gulf States, Singapore, Moscow, Iran, Bermuda and London…ending with a neat twist ready for the next book in the Harry Linley series.

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During WWII sea convoys were the lifeblood of the Allied war effort. They were integral to the ultimate defeat of Germany on both fronts. My Sea Lady stands out as one of the most remarkable testaments of those dark days of the war at sea and the Atlantic and the Arctic convoys. HMS Lady Madeleine found herself part of both battles, under the command of 38-year-old Lieutenant Graeme Ogden. His diaries, rediscovered decades later, describe the harrowing experiences of those years, spent on ocean voyages fraught with storms, ice bergs and sub-zero temperatures, let alone the constant threat of a determined and elusive enemy. This evocatively illustrated edition of My Sea Lady confronts the horrors of war as seen through Ogden’s keen eye and is full of bittersweet humour and charming anecdotes. It wasn’t until 2012 that those who served so courageously aboard the forgotten convoys in the far North during WWII were recognised with the belated, though welcome, introduction of the Arctic Star campaign medal.

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Few can have had as interesting or varied a career as Martin Broughton - a very British businessman. And just when he thought he'd retired, in 2022 Martin found himself heading a bid for Chelsea FC. A fascinating inside story in itself, it provides a topical dimension to this engaging memoir. Martin recounts his start at the very bottom of the commercial ladder and his subsequent rise to some of the most prestigious and demanding boardrooms in the country. With an acute accountant's brain and a desire to see the world, he cut his teeth working overseas for BAT. With each promotion came a new challenge - often in a new country. Wherever he went he was never just an observer but always a participant. His description of being on the frontline against one of the City's bitterest takeover battles makes for a fascinating read. In 1993 Martin was appointed CEO of BAT - in succession to the charismatic Sir Pat Sheehy - and oversaw a period of great change and controversy in the tobacco industry. When, in turn, he retired after 11 years at the helm, it was a very different and even more successful company. Always one for a challenge, many new business opportunities presented themselves including - Chairmanship of British Airways and its merger into the International Airlines Group, Presidency of the Confederation of British Industry, involvement in F1 Grand Prix motor racing, and Chairmanship of Liverpool Football Club at a time when a shrewd and steady hand was needed to find an acceptable new owner for this iconic club - this was not without a vigorous legal battle. Such was the ultimate respect of the Liverpool supporters for him that the Kop sang with gusto "There's only one Martin Broughton." Not bad for a man who is a self-confessed lifelong Chelsea supporter. All through this very readable memoir run additional themes - his love of music, hence the book's title and the chapter headings, the importance of family and finally, in partnership with his wife - Jocelyn, an abiding passion for horse racing.

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If you hide your past, it will surely come back to haunt you. Living a respectable life in Cheltenham as a magistrate and property landlord, former agent and terrorist Tariq Al Hashmi falls into such a trap. With Libya's Colonel Gadaffi no longer a moving part of the Axis of Evil and the Irish Troubles on the back boiler, what could go wrong? His days as an embedded sleeper agent with a hidden fuse ready to be lit are surely over. But complacency proves an unreliable companion. Those in the secret world that he once occupied have long memories and other ideas. Unexpectedly his world starts to fall apart and Al Hashmi's former spymasters try to manipulate him in ways he could not have imagined and for purposes he can only guess at. Author Alex Gardiner's remarkable debut thriller is written with inside knowledge. The plot's twists and turns are spiced with intrigue and complexity that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.

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The introduction of Universal Credit arguably stands as the most far-reaching reform so far this century. Clashing Agendas is the traumatic inside story of how this simple concept became unimaginably complicated in execution, and then nearly self-destructed, told by David Freud, who was the Minister for Welfare Reform responsible for the transformation. David's initial welfare proposals in 2007, commissioned by the Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in one of his last political initiatives, proved popular across all political parties. When the Conservatives came calling, David Freud accepted the job of reforming the system, initially in the shadow ministerial team and then in Government. His core motivation was to end the welfare trap, by which the legacy systems made it difficult for many people to free themselves from dependency on the state. This personal account reveals the complex interplay between politicians and civil servants - the true determinant of how Government really works. It concludes with his views both on future development of the welfare system and on how the UK Government might organise itself to introduce major system reforms more successfully in future.

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After a troubled start in life Seb Faber's prospects lookedbleak. But an unexpected City job offer andan explosive love affair appears to point to a secure and happy future. However,Seb's world is turned upside down and not everything is as it seems - leadingto a dramatic and totally unforeseen conclusion.

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They come out of the football stadium tunnel first, but all eyes are on the well-paid athletes behind them. No one pays the referee or the referee's assistants any attention - until they make a mistake. Then all hell breaks loose. They can't explain - or defend themselves against the crowd's abuse. Gavin Muge threads an entertaining personal football memoir together with his own attempts to scale the peak of the professional game as a match official. His football life has led to encounters with a cast of stars from Gary Lineker to Paul Gascoigne, Arsene Wenger and Roy Keane. He officiated at the infamous Riot of Upton Park in 2009 and has witnessed many examples of the darker side of the game. Gavin has also shared the excitement and the pain of the average football supporter and now has the experience to try to make sense of it all in My Life on the Line. See if you agree with him! And pit your knowledge against Gavin's with the book's Chapter Challenges and his Quiz.

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Redemption...a concept that disgraced SAS hero Ludovic Fear struggles with after a sentence in Scotland's toughest prison. On release, Fear thinks his life just might get easier. Not so. Instead, he hurtles towards an uncertain future as the unwilling enforcer for The Cyclops - the one-eyed Stirling crime lord. As if that wasn't enough, his military past comes back to haunt him with a vengeance. Fear's life gets even more complicated by the page in this gripping new RJ Mitchell crime thriller. While The Cyclops manipulates the reluctant Fear into being part of a major heist, there are beacons of hope - not least of which is the sultry singer Charlie who just happens to be the daughter of his new boss. Can Fear find salvation despite his new criminal life? The Shadow of Fear will lead the reader to a gripping and unexpected climax.

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Always a dog lover, Liz Cowley has now turned her charming and insightful poetic skills to man’s best friend with Muttering Doggerel, a book seemingly written by dogs themselves! Over 95 witty poems - delightfully enhanced by Tony Hannaford's colour illustrations. ‘I’ve always wanted to write a book from a dogs’ point of view, with plenty of grumbles about not being allowed upstairs, or on sofas and always having to wait too long for walks – among lots of more happy things. I never can look at a dog without wondering what on earth they’re thinking about.’ Muttering Doggerel attempts to do just that!

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Philip Trotter's debut novel is an exhilarating and original take on the Vietnam theme, exploring less familiar aspects of the country's painful history through the generation-defining image of the Burning Monk. Saigon, 1963. With the tensions of war starting to swirl, rookie photographer Ned Rivers lands in South Vietnam, hungry for the iconic shot that will make his name. But a shocking and violent act of protest by a local Buddhist monk quickly draws Ned's focus from the battlefields and the Viet Cong. Behind the front pages, a different conflict is churning - political, religious, and cultural - which threatens to tear this fragile nation even further apart. As Ned learns more about the Buddhist community's suffering at the hands of the state, his journalistic detachment becomes harder to justify. New friendships turn to solidarity and action, leaving him open to the government's wrath. President Diem sends out his ruthless attack dog Colonel Tung to manage the interfering journalist. Meanwhile, Diem faces mounting criticism from his American allies as their stake in Vietnam deepens. With political pressures at home driving US policy, the regime seems increasingly like a liability. For Ned, caught at the centre of this international chessboard, the adventure becomes too real. With friendships, love and a career in balance, can he hope to protect it all from the conspiracy of violence, arrest and war that surrounds him?

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In this highly entertaining and informative book, Christopher Joll and Anthony Weldon have captured the careers, accomplishments, follies and the occasional crimes of over three hundred of the officers and men who have served in the seven Regiments (two Household Cavalry and five Foot Guards) of the sovereign's personal troops. The pages of The DRUM HORSE IN THE FOUNTAIN will reveal a whole parade of remarkable and unusual characters... In the world of the arts - theatre, film, music, and writing - and sport there are many notable, and some surprising, Guardsmen including * two Oscar winning film stars - one of whom was drunkenly responsible for dispatching a Drum Horse into "The Fountain" in front of Buckingham Palace. And some of the most eccentric men ever to have been let loose on the public including * The irresponsible officer in charge of the Tower of London guard who had to break back into the Tower by climbing the mast of a barge on the Thames and then onto Traitor's Gate; * The VC who rallied his troops with a hunting horn; * The officer who dressed as a nun to entertain the Duke of Wellington; * The unfortunate officer who Queen Victoria thought was addressing her when he was actually trying to admonish his unruly horse - she was not amused; * Traitors, conmen, bigamists, a purveyor of `honours for cash' and three accused of murder - as well as at least five murder victims, one of whom died in a Chicago bootleggers' shoot-out. On military service the officers and men of the Household Division have * earned forty-four Victoria Crosses; * been founding members of SOE, SAS, Commandos, operated behind enemy lines and pioneered military parachuting; * acted as spies, double agents and spy masters; * been supported through the fiercest fighting of WW2 by a remarkably loayl tea-lady in her NAAFI wagon. As well as Prime Ministers and politicians, churchmen also feature prominently with * a Cardinal who, had he lived, might have been Pope; an Archbishop of Canterbury, known as `Killer', with an MC (as well as four padres awarded MCs), a bishop, two monks, three Lord Priors of the Order of St John, and two Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (who rank as Cardinals). Were this not enough, amongst actual, as well as aspiring, royalty and their progeny - legitimate and otherwise, there was * the aristocratic candidate for the throne of Albania (who, although almost blind, fought as a regimental officer in WW1 without actually enlisting). ...and, not to be forgotten, are * one regimental wolfhound in the 1930s which dispatched the Italian Ambassador's greyhound, three bears (one stuffed), two WW1 milking cows who took part in the 1919 Victory Parade, one monkey with the rank of Corporal of Horse and a very alert goose called Jacob.

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Invention, passion, war and exile are but some of the elements in this revealing new insight into Paddy Leigh Fermor's many Romanian journeys. Starting with the `great trudge' on foot through Romania in 1934 and ending in 1990 with his assignment for The Daily Telegraph following the fall of Ceausescu, The Vagabond and The Princess by Alan Ogden unravels the tapestry of fact and fiction woven by Paddy and reveals in detail the touching story of the love affair between the youthful writer and Balasa Cantacuzino, a beautiful Romanian Princess. After a poignant parting on the eve of the Second World War, they were reunited some twenty-five years later and remained in close touch until her death. Paddy had been the great love of her life. Alan Ogden brings great insight into this enduring and touching relationship as well putting into context the glamorous lost world of pre-WW2 Romania.

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From the deliberate, but delightful, misspelling of Shakespeare in the title to the carefully portrayed perils of being a Victorian soldier and the appropriately selected Shakespearian quotes to go alongside each cartoon, Thomas Seccombe’s book will resonate with all who have an interest in observing life – military and otherwise. Seccombe was a true son of the Victorian Empire and served in The Royal Artillery until retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1881. This book was first published in 1880 and was so popular that it went on to six reprints in the following two years. Seccombe subsequently had a flourishing civilian career as an illustrator. Some 140 years later, even today’s readers will see why Military Misreadings of Shakspere [sic] was such a success. Seccombe’s subtle, but perceptive, observations of human character are as true today as they ever were. He had a wonderful eye for detail as well as the ridiculous – but never with malice even when pairing his cartoons with quotes from the Bard of Avon. This re-issued edition has the added benefit of former Grenadier Paul Cordle’s highly informative commentary which puts Seccombe’s army into perspective and relates regiments to their modern successors-in-arms. With a similar eye for detail as the original illustrator, military historian Paul brings the illustrations to life with fascinating military observations.

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This dark psychological thriller has more twists and turns than the wild Cornish road on which pregnant Claire Treloggan suffers a sinister sexual assault. David Palin weaves together the stories of two very damaged people – Claire and DCI Logan. Each has a hidden agenda, there is no room for compromise.

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The Discontented tells the heroic story of the Hungarian uprisings against the Habsburgs in 17th and 18th centuries. Led by the charismatic trio of Imre Thököly, Helena Zrinyi and Ferenc Rákóczi II, there were moments when the rebels nearly succeeded in securing the independence of Hungary from the Habsburg Emperors. However, against a background of international intrigue and superpower politics, the valiant actions of the kurucs were ultimately doomed and their leaders forced into exile in Turkey. Here is a tale of hubris, betrayal, love and reckless courage that remains inspirational centuries later.

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I didn't intend for Alex to be in my book, he just appeared, sort of uninvited, as he always seems to in real life. Master of the written word Pete Bellotte presents twenty-two short stories exploring the limitless range of behaviour that people are capable of. Amusing, perplexing, dark-minded, or even hilarious, the characters inhabiting this universe have just one thing in common: a determination to challenge expectations and upset the norm. You'll never see them coming. In their own way, all of them - liars and murderers, heroes and romantics - fight back against the forces, right or wrong, that work against them. They defy convention...Break the bonds...Unround the circle.

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The first of three intriguing thrillers starring Inspector Dalliance. The most idyllic of villages can be the most deadly. The villagers of Little Bolton gather on the green one glorious Sunday afternoon for their weekly cricket match. With the game underway, nobody suspects that among the men in whites stands a killer. But when one of their number mysteriously collapses out on the field, Inspector Dalliance is sent in to investigate foul play. Soon enough he realizes that the rural idyll in which he finds himself is in fact a viper's nest of bitter feelings and intense rivalries. With the modern world encroaching on their traditional way of life, the stakes are higher for these people than Dalliance can imagine. He must root out the wrongdoers and heal this community in quiet turmoil, before it takes justice into its own hands once more.

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Throughout history, and all over the world, seemingly intelligent people have made foolish decisions based on delusions. This has affected love affairs, politics, finance, science, warfare, showbusiness and even sport. It has also wrecked marriages, bankrupted millionaires, lost battles, destroyed empires, brought down leaders and royalty, split religions, ruined reputations, changed climates, thwarted gangsters and even exposed sex pests. Donough O'Brien and Liz Cowley shine a spotlight on 150 intriguing, and often hidden, corners of such calamities... And in so doing they highlight over 650 characters who prove to be both fascinating and flawed. Dreams, Delusions & Disasters is an absorbing take on history.

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Over the last seven hundred years the United Kingdom has acquired a staggering array of treasures as a direct result of its military activities – from Joan of Arc’s ring to the Rock of Gibraltar to Hitler’s desk. Spoils of War describes these spoils and how they came to be acquired as well as telling the tales of some of the extraordinary (and extraordinarily incompetent) men and women, now mostly forgotten, who had a hand in the rise and fall of the British Empire. Along the way the book debunks a significant number of myths, exposes a major fraud perpetrated on a leading London museum, reveals previously unknown spoils of war and casts light on some very dark corners of Britain’s military history.

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When a young girl is found strangled in a pillbox (military blockhouse) on the edge of an isolated village, it looks like a tragic but uncomplicated sex crime--especially as Jed, the local boy with whom she was last seen, has disappeared. But when Jed's blood-soaked jacket is found in another pillbox further along the river bank, it becomes clear that the case is more complicated. Chief Inspector Dalliance and DS Riley set about untangling a skein of leads, and in the process discover that the respectability of an idyllic English village conceals dark undercurrents. An exclusive swingers' club includes members of the political elite, while the younger generation seems hell-bent on a nihilistic exploration of sexual boundaries. In the meantime, as the community prepares for its annual Morris Dancing festival, another body is found. The page-turning plot reaches a dramatic climax with the prime suspect leading Dalliance and Riley a merry dance through village streets thronged with handkerchief-waving, stave-wielding Morris men.

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When Dreams Collide is Nicholas Allan's intimate pilgrimage across the former states of Yugoslavia. Shedding the received knowledge of headlines, he explores the splintered co-evolution of these lands over the last ten centuries, guided by the inimitable Rebecca West's masterpiece, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. Written 80 years in the past, West's account serves as a fascinating reference for the optimistic interwar years of the 20th century between the Ottoman decline and the Nazi onset. The evolving balancing act of Tito's Yugoslav experiment and the atrocities following its break-up were still to come. Collapsing empires and proud young nations, monasteries and mosques, brotherhood, hatred, war, music, frescoes, food, costume, people, mountains, rivers and seas, the distant rumbles of the centuries take many forms. At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area, through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage. He records personal encounters and richly drawn characters interwoven with history and art, politics and religion (too often one and the same). Enhanced with delightful hand-drawn maps of the Balkans including Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. 73 informative photograph's showing some the areas key historical figures including Ibrahim Rugova, Hitler, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, Tito, Draza Mihailovic, Slobodan Milosevic, Alecksandar Vucic, Alija Izetbegovic, Radovan Karadzic, Ante Pavelic, Franjo Tudjman, and Fitzroy Maclean.

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