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A Fatal Freedom: An Ursula Grandison Mystery 2
by Janet LaurenceLondon 1903: American Ursula Grandison is once again involved with murder. As she struggles to make a living in a society where women have few rights and little freedom, she teams up with old friend and private investigator Thomas Jackman, who soon finds himself drawing on Ursula’s investigative abilities as they battle to save an innocent woman from the noose. Set against a background of Edwardian constraints and the fight for women’s suffrage, can Ursula and Jackman disentangle a bewildering web of motive and opportunity and prevent a subtle yet dangerous killer striking again?
Victor Lustig: The Man Who Conned the World
by Christopher SandfordThe period after the First World War was a golden age for the confidence man. ‘A new kind of entrepreneur is stirring amongst us,’ The Times wrote in 1919. ‘He is prone to the most detestable tactics, and is a stranger to charity and public spirit. One may nonetheless note his acuity in separating others from their money.’ Enter Victor Lustig (not his real name). An Austro-Hungarian with a dark streak, by the age of 16 he had learned how to hustle at billiards and lay odds at the local racecourse. By 19 he had acquired a livid facial scar in an altercation with a jealous husband.That blemish aside, he was a man of athletic good looks, with a taste for larceny and foreign intrigue. He spoke six languages and went under nearly as many aliases in the course of a continent-hopping life that also saw him act as a double (or possibly triple) agent. Along the way, he found time to dupe an impressive variety of banks and hotels on both sides of the Atlantic; to escape from no fewer than three supposedly impregnable prisons; and to swindle Al Capone out of thousands of dollars, while living to tell the tale. Undoubtedly the greatest of his hoaxes was the sale, to a wealthy but gullible Parisian scrap-metal dealer, of the Eiffel Tower in 1925.In a narrative that thrills like a crime caper, best-selling biographer Christopher Sandford draws on newly released documents to tell the whole story of the greatest conman of the twentieth century.
Rats Alley: Trench Names of the Western Front, 1914–1918
by Peter Chasseaud Alan SillitoeWhen first published in 2006, Rats Alley was a ground-breaking piece of research, the first-ever study of trench names of the Western Front. Now, in this fully updated and revised second edition, the gazetteer has been extended to well over 20,000 trench names, complete with map references – in itself an essential tool for any First World War researcher.However, combined with the finely considered history and analysis of trench naming during the First World War, this is an edition that no military history enthusiast should be without. Discover when, how and why British trenches were first named and follow the names’ fascinating development throughout the First World War, alongside details of French and German trench-naming practices.Looked at from both contemporary and modern points of view, the names reveal the full horror of trench warfare and throw an extraordinary sidelight on the cultural life of the period, and the landscape and battles of the Western Front. Names such as Lovers Lane, Idiot Corner, Cyanide Trench, Crazy Redoubt, Doleful Post, Furies Trench, Peril Avenue, Lunatic Sap and Gangrene Alley can be placed in context.With useful information on where original trench maps are held, and how to obtain copies, Rats Alley is a vital volume for both military and family historians.
Breakspear: The English Pope Who Went to War
by R. A. J. Waddingham‘A highly lucid and readable account.’ – Times Literary Supplement‘An impressive and absorbing book.’ – Jonathan Phillips, Professor of Crusading History at Royal HollowayIn over 2,000 years of Christianity, there has been only one pope from England: Nicholas Breakspear.Breakspear was elected pope in 1154, but his story started long before that. The son of a local churchman near St Albans, he would battle his way across Europe to defend and develop Christianity, facing turmoil in Scandinavia and the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula. But it was after he took the Throne of St Peter as Adrian IV that he would face his greatest threat: Frederick Barbarossa, who was determined to restore the Holy Roman Empire to its former greatness.In Breakspear: The English Pope Who Went to War, R.A.J. Waddingham opens the archives to tell the story of a man who rose from humble beginnings to glorious power – and yet has been all but forgotten ever since.
That Irishman: The Life and Times of John O'Connor Power
by Jane StanfordThe story of John O’Connor Power is the story of Ireland’s struggle for nationhood itself. Born into poverty in Ballinasloe in 1846, O’Connor Power spent much of his childhood in the workhouse. From here he rose rapidly through the ranks of the Fenian Movement to become a leading member of the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In 1874 he was elected Member for Mayo to the British House of Commons where he was widely acknowledged to be one of the outstanding orators of his day. His speeches, both in Parliament and to the US House of Representatives, secured crucial concessions and support for the Irish cause. O’Connor Power campaigned tirelessly for the rights of tenant farmers, and pioneered the policy of obstructionism to this end. Following his address to a tenants’ rights meeting in Mayo, a protest was launched which would quickly become the powerful political force that was the Land League. He was, in short, one of a distinguished company, that indomitable Irishry of Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Davitt and Isaac Butt, who made the dream of an independent Ireland a reality.
False Starts, Near Misses and Dangerous Goods: Railwaymen’s Stories about the Challenges of Running a Railway
by Geoff Body Ian BodyRunning a railway is a complex business beset with drama. The operation of heavy equipment at speed, twenty-four hours a day, across the full length of the country and using extremely technical signaling, track and mechanical engineering is no mean feat and throws up a constant stream of challenges. Fortunately, the highly professional railway staff are ready to deal with these daily obstacles using their expertise, dedication and, as is so often required, a sense of humour. Here Geoff Body and his son Ian have collated a selection of entertaining and revealing anecdotes that illustrate just how unexpected working on the railways can be.
Amiens 1918: The Last Great Battle
by James McWilliams R James SteelOn 8 August 1918, the Allied forces launched the surprise attack that heralded the end of the First World War. With skill and daring, 21 divisions of men breached the German lines, supported by 500 tanks and 1,000 aircraft. This book considers the successes and failures of both sides in this conflict.
Cotswold Arts and Crafts Architecture
by Catherine GordonBetween 1890 and 1930, Arts and Crafts architecture proliferated within the Cotswolds. The range and quality of the buildings was exceptional, as the region provided the perfect environment for the Movement’s ideals and principles to flourish. Arts and Crafts architects relished the robust vernacular precedent that served to focus their ideas and stimulate their creativity. Its rational basis and dependence on craft skills had lasting relevance, and it was no coincidence that the most infl uential aspect of their work was its emphasis on conservation. The achievements of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswold region has attracted much interest in recent decades, the appeal of the simple life and traditional values having as much allure now as they did a century ago. This was the first study to focus entirely on the Arts and Crafts architecture within the region, and to examine its impact on the Cotswold landscape, on the survival of the local building traditions and attitudes to heritage and conservation. This new and updated paperback edition provides a guide to the general characteristics of Cotswold Arts and Crafts structures, with chapters on the various types of new commissions to be found, as well as repair and remodeling projects. The final chapter discusses the late flowering of Arts and Crafts work that occurred during the interwar period and beyond, and the legacy of this important body of work at a local and national level.
Merlin: The Prophet and His History
by Geoffrey AsheMerlin, seer and wonder-worker at King Arthur's court, makes his debut in the highly inventive 'History of the Kings of Britain', written during the 1130s by an author known to posterity as Geoffrey of Monmouth. One of the most influential books of the Middle Ages, it planted Arthur himself in European minds. As for Merlin, he seems to be wholly a creation of Geoffrey's active brain. Or was he? This new book by the leading Arthurian scholar of today offers a succession of surprises. The Merlin of legend was born to be a magician. He was 'immaculately' conceived and was able to interpret dreams and utter prophecies. Even his fate was imbued with magic. Like Arthur, he acquired immortality and sleeps on Bardsey Island, in a subterranean chamber with nine companions. Geoffrey Ashe reveals the man behind the myth, establishing beyond doubt the historicity of a Welsh prophet called Myrddin Emrys. Despite his 'supernatural' status it is Merlin, of all the great characters in the Arthurian world, who has the strongest claims to having existed.
London's Docklands: A History of the Lost Quarter
by Fiona RuleDo you remember the docks? In its heyday, the Port of London was the biggest in the world. It was a sprawling network of quays, wharves, canals and basins, providing employment for over 100,000 people. From the dockworker to the prostitute, the Romans to the Republic of the Isle of Dogs, London’s docklands have always been a key part of the city. But it wasn’t to last. They might have recovered from the devastating bombing raids of the Second World War – but it was the advent of the container ships, too big to fit down the Thames, that would sound the final death knell. Over 150,000 men lost their jobs, whole industries disappeared, and the docks gradually turned to wasteland. In London’s Docklands: A History of the Lost Quarter, best-selling historian Fiona Rule ensures that, though the docklands may be all but gone, they will not be forgotten.
First World War at Sea: 5 Minute History
by David WraggHow much can you really find out about the War at Sea during the First World War in five minutes? This handy little history book will surpass all your expectations and leave you well versed on all you wish to know, and maybe even a little bit more… Which was stronger, the German or British navy? What was the biggest battle? Who were the heroes? Who led the navies? And how successful were they? Jam-packed with facts, stats and first-hand accounts of the action, all woven together in an accessible way by an expert in the field, this 5 Minute History is a valuable addition to anyone’s bookshelf, ready to be delved into at a moment’s notice.
Cars We Loved in the 1980s (Cars we Loved)
by Giles ChapmanIt was brash and it was loud – the 1980s put paid to the glumness of the ’70s and nowhere was that more obvious than in the cars we drove, which took a quantum leap in durability, performance, equipment and style. They had to: Japanese quality and European design were luring away ever more customers. Features such as fuel injection, turbochargers, computer-controlled systems and four-wheel drive became commonplace. This was also the decade that brought us the people-carrier and the off-roader, new classes of car that radically reshaped family transport. Meanwhile, seatbelt-wearing became law, the M25 opened, speed cameras appeared and ram-raiding was the new motoring nemesis. Relive everything car-related in Britain in the 1980s with Giles Chapman.
English History: Strange but True
by Richard SmythThis book is a treasure trove of English oddities, crammed with the most curious stories, remarkable facts and unexpected goings-on from the country’s long and convoluted history. From frogs’ legs at Stonehenge to knicker elastic in the Blitz, this is England – the unauthorised biography.
China and Iran: Parallel History, Future Threat?
by Edward BurmanChina and Iran have featured heavily in the news in recent years. China is both a military and an economic superpower with 20% of the world's population; Iran is suspected of developing nuclear weapons and arming terrorists, and sits on the world's second-largest oil and gas reserves. They are also surprisingly close geographically: Iran is only 700 miles across Afghanistan from China's extreme western border. A 25-year, $100 billion deal to supply China with oil and gas and the large number of Chinese companies operating in Iran shows that the two are moving increasingly close in both political and economic terms. But what does this mean for the rest of the world, and especially for 'the West?' Edward Burman examines how the strikingly similar histories of these two ancient civilisations can inform what the likely consequences for the world of an alliance between them might be.
Derry Folk Tales
by Madeline McCully Georgia RhoadesThis lively and entertaining collection of folk tales from the County Derry is rich in stories both tall and true, ancient and recent, dark and funny, fantastical and powerful. Here you will find stories of mythical beasts such as the Lig-na-Paiste, banished by St Murrough to Lough Foyle; the dark tales of Abhartach, the Irish Vampire, and the reason a skeleton features of Derry’s coat of arms; the cautionary tale of the man who raised the Devil and who never spoke another word for the rest of his life; and, of course, the legends of the great St Columba, founder of the City of Derry, whose prayer reputedly still protects its inhabitants from ever being struck by lightening. These well-loved and magical stories, retold by professional storyteller Madeline McCully and richly illustrated with enchanting line drawings, are sure to be enjoyed and shared time and again.
The Baby Boomer Generation: A Lifetime of Memories
by Paul FeeneyDo you remember washing in a tin bath by the fire, using outside lavatories and not having a television? Did you grow up in the 1950s and were you a teenager in the swinging sixties? If the Festival of Britain, food rationing and the Queen’s coronation are among your earliest memories then you belong to the post-war baby boomer generation. How did we end up here, in the second decade of the twenty-first century, when it all just seems like yesterday? In this fascinating new trip down memory lane, Paul Feeney remembers what it has been like to live through the eventful second half of the twentieth century. This nostalgic journey through an era of change will resonate with anyone who began their innocent childhood years in austerity and has lived through a lifetime of ground-breaking events to the much changed Britain of today.
George III's Children
by John KisteOn 12 August 1762, Queen Charlotte gave birth to her first child. Twenty-one years later, to the week, the 15th and youngest was born. All but two children survived to maturity. The eldest of King George III's children, who became Prince Regent and King George IV, is less remembered for his patronage of the arts than for his extravagance, and maltreatment of his wife Caroline. As Commander-in-Chief to the British army, the administrative qualities of Frederick, Duke of York are largely forgotten, while King William IV, usually dismissed as a figure of fun, brought a new affability to the monarchy which helped him through the storms engendered during the passage of the Great Reform Bill in 1832. The princesses, for many years victims of their parents' possessiveness, married late in life, if at all, and are passed off as non-entities. This objective portrayal of the royal family draws upon contemporary sources to lay to rest the gossip and exaggeration.
The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II
by Ian LloydAt the time of Elizabeth II’s accession, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Harry S. Truman was President of the United States and Joseph Stalin still governed the Soviet Union. It has often been said that she never put a foot wrong during her seven decades as monarch, and even those ideologically opposed to Britain and its governments have lauded her. Remarkably, she retained her relevance as sovereign well into her nineties, remaining a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world.Royal biographer Ian Lloyd reveals the woman behind the legend over seventy themed chapters. Drawing on interviews with relatives, friends and courtiers, he explores her relationship with seven generations of the royal family, from the children of Queen Victoria to Elizabeth’s own great-grandchildren. He also sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of her character, such as her frugality and her gift for mimicry. In addition, we see her encounters with A-listers, from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, and her adept handling of several of the twentieth century’s most difficult leaders.Above all, Lloyd examines how the Queen stayed true to the promise she made to the nation at the age of 21, ‘that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’.
Friendly Invasion: Memories of Operation Bolero, The American Occupation of Britain 1942-1945
by Henry BucktonBetween 1942 and 1945, tens of thousands of young American servicemen arrived in Britain. This book is an examination of the way their presence affected them and the local people during the Second World War. It is a social history and studies the various relationships forged between the British public and their American guests.
Princess Nest of Wales: Seductress of the English
by Kari MaundThe daughter of one king and the lover of another; matriarch of a powerful dynasty and the cause of conflict and war: Nest, princess of Dyfed, became a legend. This biography reveals Nest's role in one of the most exciting and dynamic periods of Welsh, Irish and English history.
The Battle of Britain Story (The Story Series)
by Graham PitchforkThe summer of 1940 witnessed the greatest air battle in history, as the men Winston Churchill dubbed ‘The Few’ fought over the skies of Britain to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority, which would have paved the way for Hitler to invade our island. Graham Pitchfork charts the development of the epic battle fought by Fighter Command as it reacted to the changes in the Luftwaffe’s strategy, reaching a climax on 15 September before finally coming to a conclusion in October 1940. In addition to the exploits of the pilots in the air, the contribution of the many ground organisations that played such a crucial role is also highlighted in this lavishly illustrated book. Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork is a well-known aviation author whose previous books include The RAF Day by Day and The RAF’s First Jet Squadron: 616 (South Yorkshire).
Emily Bronte: A Life in 20 Poems
by Nick HollandEmily Jane Brontë was born in July 1818; along with her sisters Charlotte and Anne, she is famed as a member of the greatest literary family of all time, and helped turn Haworth into a place of literary pilgrimage. Whilst Emily Brontë wrote only one novel, the mysterious and universally acclaimed Wuthering Heights, she is widely acknowledged as the best poet of the Brontë sisters – indeed as one of the greatest female poets of all time. Her poems offer insights to her relationships with her family, religion, nature, the world of work, and the shadowy and visionary powers that increasingly dominated her life.Taking twenty of her most revealing poems, Nick Holland creates a unifying impression of Emily Brontë, revealing how this terribly shy young woman could create such wild and powerful writing, and why she turned her back on the outside world for one that existed only in her own mind.
Henry V's Navy: The Sea-Road to Agincourt and Conquest 1413-1422
by Ian FrielWITHOUT HENRY V’S NAVY, the Battle of Agincourt would never have happened. Henry’s fleet played a major – if often unrecognised – part in enabling the king to come within reach of final victory in the Hundred Years War against France. Henry’s navy was one of the most successful fleets deployed by England before the time of Elizabeth I. The royal fleet was transformed in Henry’s short reign from a few dilapidated craft into a powerful weapon of war, with over thirty fighting vessels, up-to-date technology and four of the biggest ships in Europe. Drawing from extensive research into documentary, pictorial and archaeological sources, Henry V’s Navy is about the men, ships and operations of Henry’s sea war. Maritime historian Ian Friel explores everything from shipboard food to how crews and their ships sailed and fought, and takes an in-depth look at the royal ships. He also tells the dramatic and bloody story of the naval conflict, which at times came close to humiliating defeat for the English.
Sir Henry Royce: Establishing Rolls-Royce, from Motor Cars to Aero Engines
by Peter ReeseIt’s hard to imagine a history of British engineering without Rolls-Royce: there would be no Silver Ghost, no Merlin for the Spitfire, no Alcock and Brown. Rolls-Royce is one of the most recognisable brands in the world.But what of the man who designed them?The youngest of five children, Frederick Henry Royce was born into almost Dickensian circumstances: the family business failed by the time he was 4, his father died in a Greenwich poorhouse when he was 9, and he only managed two fragmented years of formal schooling. But he made all of it count.In Sir Henry Royce: Establishing Rolls-Royce, from Motor Cars to Aero Engines, acclaimed aeronautical historian Peter Reese explores the life of an almost forgotten genius, from his humble beginnings to his greatest achievements. Impeccably researched and featuring almost 100 illustrations, this is the remarkable story of British success on a global stage.
Northumbria: The Lost Kingdom
by Paul Gething Edoardo AlbertNorthumbria was one of the great kingdoms of Britain in the Dark Ages, enduring longer than the Roman Empire. Yet it has been all but forgotten. This book puts Northumbria back in its rightful place, at the heart of British history. From the impregnable fastness of Bamburgh Castle, the kings of Northumbria ruled a vast area, and held sway as High Kings of Britain. From the tidal island of Lindisfarne, extraordinary saints and learned scholars brought Christianity and civilization to the rest of the country. Now, thanks to the ongoing work of a dedicated team of archaeologists this story is slowly being brought to light. The excavations at Bamburgh Castle have revealed a society of unsuspected sophistication and elegance, capable of creating swords and jewellery unparalleled before or since, and works of art and devotion that still fill the beholder with wonder.