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Battle Story: Bannockburn 1314
by Chris BrownBannockburn 1314 is the most celebrated battle between Scotland and England, in which a mere 7,000 followers of Robert the Bruce defeated more than 15,000 of Edward II’s troops. The Battle of Bannockburn, fought over two days on 23 and 24 June 1314 by a small river crossing just south of Stirling, was a decisive victory for Robert, and secured for Scotland de facto independence from England. It was the greatest defeat the English would suffer throughout the Middle Ages, and a huge personal humiliation for Edward. Chris Brown’s account recreates the campaign from the perspectives of both the Scots and English. If you want to know what happened and why read – Battle Story.
Tales of the Irish Hedgerows
by Tony LockeTraditional hedgerows are rapidly vanishing from our countryside. With their disappearance, we lose not only their flora and fauna but also the tales and folklore that have always surrounded them. This book records these stories before they disappear from memory. With chapters dedicated to specific plants or animals, we learn about the folklore of the hedgehog, the badger, woodmouse, thrush, wren, bumblebee, hawthorn, foxglove and hazel and many more. These are tales of wisdom and magic that help us to gain a greater understanding of the natural world we live in and which encourage us to live in closer harmony with that world.
Richard III and the Murder in the Tower
by Peter A HancockRichard III is accused of murdering his nephews (the 'Princes in the Tower') in order to usurp the throne of England. Since Tudor times he has been painted as the 'black legend', the murderous uncle. However, the truth is much more complicated and interesting. Rather than looking at all the killings Richard III did not commit, this book focuses on the one judicial murder for which we know that he was responsible. On Friday 13 June 1483, William, Lord Hastings was hustled from a meeting of the Royal Council and summarily executed on Tower Green within the confines of the Tower of London. This book sheds light on the mystery of this precipitate and unadvised action by the then Duke of Gloucester and reveals the key role of William Catesby in Richard's ascent to the throne of England. It explains his curious actions during that tumultuous summer of three kings and provides an explanation for the fate of the 'Princes in the Tower.'
Haunted Boston
by Gemma KingTake an eerie journey through the historic town of Boston, where ghostly friars still occupy the land of their thirteenth-century monastery, and where Sarah Preston’s disembodied cries of ‘Pestilence!’ can sometimes be heard as her ghostly apparition jumps from the top of St Botolph’s Church. Her alleged former home, Church Key Studio, has seen many occupants come and go over the centuries – but does one of them still reside there in spirit? Also featured is the ancient Guildhall of St Mary’s, where a group of distinguished ghostly gentlemen hold board meetings in the upper hall while a lady apparition stares intently into the old prison cells. And explore the spectacular rooms and gardens of Fydell House, where previous occupants have been seen and heard, long after their deaths. This book tells the stories of many well-known locations, with first-hand testimonies of paranormal activity – from pubs, shops and restaurants to a former music venue. Including exclusive photographs and the results of paranormal investigations, some of the locations featured will surprise you… and some of the chilling evidence will make your blood run cold.
Norwich in the Second World War
by Neil R StoreyNorwich in the Second World War is the story of the city and its people, both civilian and military, from the construction of the first air raid shelters in 1938 through to VE Day in 1945 and the return of Far Eastern prisoners of war in 1946.Featuring first-hand accounts of what happened when enemy bombers raided the city, notably during the notorious Baedeker Blitz of 1942, rare photographs and documents make this book a must for anyone who knows and loves the city of Norwich.
Pigeon Guided Missiles: And 49 Other Ideas that Never Took Off
by James Moore Paul NeroDuring the Second World War, an American behavioural psychologist working with pigeons discovered that the birds could be trained to recognise an object and to peck at an image of it; when loaded into the nose-cone of a missile, these pecks could be translated into adjustments to the guidance fins, steering the projectile to its target.Pigeon-Guided Missiles reveals this and other fascinating tales of daring plans from history destined to change the world we live in, yet which ended in failure, or even disaster. Some became the victims of the eccentric figures behind them, others succumbed to financial and political misfortune, and a few were just too far ahead of their time. Discover why the great groundnut scheme cost British taxpayers £49 million, why the bid to build Minerva, a whole new country in the Pacific Ocean, sank, and why the first Channel Tunnel (started in 1881, over a century before the one we know today) hit a dead end.
China: Why the World is Not Chinese Yet
by Edward BurmanChina: The Stealth Empire asks why it is that China despite its size and once advanced culture and technology did not become a world power centuries ago? Burman traces the answer through Chinese innate sense of superiority which made foreign conquest and trade an irrelevance. This is about to change with the evolution of what is termed the Stealth Empire characterised by world dominance in the production of consumer goods, a growing share of world manufacturing and a strong sense of nationalism. The Chinese believe that they need to do nothing as they evolve by the middle of the century into the dominant world power. Burman's book opens a window onto this history and growing sense of national destiny. It will be essential reading for anyone wanting to understand what is going on in the Stealth Empire.
The Flaming Cow: The Making of Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother
by Ron Geesin Nick Mason‘a fantastic read . . . witty and incredibly detailed’ Brain DamageBy the late 1960s, popular British prog-rock group Pink Floyd were experiencing a creative voltage drop, so they turned to composer Ron Geesin for help in writing their next album.The Flaming Cow offers a rare insight into the brilliant but often fraught collaboration between the band and Geesin, the result of which became known as Atom Heart Mother – the title track from the Floyd’s first UK number-one album. From the time drummer Nick Mason visited Geesin’s damp basement flat in Notting Hill, to the last game of golf between bassist Roger Waters and Geesin, this book is an unflinching account about how one of Pink Floyd’s most celebrated compositions came to life.Alongside photographs from the Abbey Road recording sessions and the subsequent performances in London and Paris, this new and updated edition of The Flaming Cow describes how the title was chosen, why Geesin was not credited on the record, how he left Hyde Park in tears, and why the group did not much like the work. Yet, more than fifty years on, Atom Heart Mother remains a much-loved record with a burgeoning cult status and an increasing number of requests for the score from around the world. It would appear there’s still life in the Flaming Cow yet.
From Ice Floes to Battlefields: Scott’s ‘Antarctics’ in the First World War
by Anne StrathieFebruary 1912: Harry Pennell and his Terra Nova shipmates brave storms and ice to bring supplies to Antarctica. They hope to celebrate Captain Scott’s conquest of the South Pole, but are forced by ice to return north before Scott’s party returns. In New Zealand a reporter tells them that Roald Amundsen reached the Pole first. Returning to Antarctica in early 1913, they learn that Scott’s party reached the Pole but died on the ice shelf. Back in Britain memorial services, medal ceremonies, weddings and resumed careers are abruptly interrupted by the First World War. Fit and able men, Scott’s ‘Antarctics’ trade one adventure for another. By 1919 Scott’s ‘Antarctics’ have fought at Antwerp, the Western Front, Gallipoli, in the Channel, at Jutland and in Arctic Russia. They serve on horseback, in trenches, on battleships and hospital ships, in armoured cars and flimsy aircraft; their brothers-in-arms include a prime minister’s son and poet Rupert Brooke. As in Antarctica, life is challenging and dangerous. As on the ice, not all survive.
Out of the Darkness: Greenham Voices 1981-2000
by Kate Kerrow Rebecca Mordan Frankie ArmstrongWhat is a Greenham woman? Any damn woman who wishes to call herself one.‘What d’you need more atom bombs for? You got enough bombs to kill us all ten times Yet still you keep asking for more.’Greenham Protest SongIn 1981, a group of women marched from Cardiff to the Greenham Common RAF base in Newbury to protest the siting of US nuclear missiles on British soil. Gradually joined by women from all over the world, they formed what became the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp. They stayed there for almost twenty years, in what would become the largest, most effective woman-led protest since the Suffrage campaign – and they would radicalise a generation.Out of the Darkness reunites the trailblazing women of Greenham to share their intimate recollections of the highs and lows of camp life, explore how they organised, and uncover the clever, non-violent ways they challenged military, police and cultural forces, all in the name of peace. Whether freeing MoD geese or dancing on silos, whether composing songs to put their cases across in court or kissing in the face of advancing police, this is the story of the power of creativity, wit and courage, and the sisterhood the Greenham women created.Today, as our planet suffers increased threats from nuclear proliferation and environmental strain, this book celebrates the Greenham pioneers of peaceful protest and hopes to inspire a new generation of activists.
Life in a Medieval Castle
by Brenda Ralph LewisHow would you feel if you woke up in a medieval castle tomorrow morning? What would your bed be like? What would you eat? What sights and smells would be around you? Whisking you back in time, this little book will show you exactly what it would be like to be there.
The Raven
by Dani Lamia Gwendolyn KressShe saw The Raven in her dreams. Now her life's a nightmare. No matter how hard she tries, Rebekah just doesn't fit in at her prestigious Ivy League prep school. The cruel, privileged students ridicule and bully her on a daily basis. And instead of standing up for herself, Rebekah retreats into a dark, unsettling world of nightmarish visions . . . In her dreams, a cloaked figure named The Raven gives her a chance to turn the tables on her tormentors, and exact bloody revenge. At first, she secretly relishes the power, but then Rebekah discovers her dreams have terrifying consequences: The Raven's brutal revenge is real. Ripped straight from the pages of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven unlocks deep truths about humanity and tackles self-worth, morality, and the pain of doing what's right at all costs."Edgar Allan Poe's poem, 'The Raven,' is used in such a creative manner . . . adds to the mystery." –ScreencraftFans of Edgar Allan Poe and Urban Legend will love this "unexpected" tale. (Screencraft)
Haunted London Underground
by David Brandon Alan BrookeLondon's Underground is associated with a multitude of ghostly stories and sightings, particular stations and abandoned lines, many of which are in close proximity to burial sites from centuries ago. This chilling book reveals well-known and hitherto unpublished tales of spirits, spectres and other spooky occurrences on one of the oldest railway networks in the world. The stories of sightings include the ghost of an actress regularly witnessed on Aldywch Station and the 'Black Nun' at Bank Station. Eerie noises, such as the cries of thirteen-year-old Anne Naylor, who was murdered in 1758 near to the site of what is now Farringdon Station, and the screams of children who were in an accident at Bethnal Green Station during Second World War, are still heard echoing. These and many more ghostly accounts are recorded in fascinating detail in this book, which is a must-read for anyone interested in the mysterious and murky history of London's Underground.
The Story of Guildford
by Marion FieldGuildford’s history dates from Saxon times, and the town has been the residence of kings and many famous men and women, particularly since Henry II turned the Norman castle into a luxurious palace in the twelfth century. Also amongst the town’s famous and influential faces was George Abbot, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1611 and was one of the translators of the King James Bible and founded Abbot’s Hospital in 1619 – an early example of ‘sheltered housing’, which still fulfils that role to this day. High above the town is the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Consecrated in 1961, it was the first cathedral to be built in the South of England since the Reformation. Below it is the University of Surrey, which received its Royal Charter just a few years later.Guildford’s people and visitors throughout history come to life in this well-researched account, which also examines the town’s architectural development and heritage, from the castle and medieval guildhall to the modern cathedral and beyond, portraying Guildford’s significance on a national and sometimes international scale.
The Bloody Covenant: Crown and Kirk in Conflict
by Ronald IrelandIt was theology against politics. Ordinary men against changing systems of government and belief, fighting for what they believed was right. 'The Bloody Covenant' tells the story of a period in which two rival forms of the same belief jostled to become the dominant theology in Scotland, and of how the Presbyterian covenants drove its followers into a century and a half of discrimination, violence and destruction. Of how the government of Great Britain and Ireland dealt with the northern threat of divided religious thought and the real danger of revolution. Ronald Ireland's account of the bloody history of the era is brought to life by following one ordinary man from one ordinary burgh of Scotland. An authoritative guide to how the big decisions made by some of the most important people in the land affected individuals as well as the country as a whole, it is an essential and accessible read for anyone interested in the British civil wars of the seventeenth century.
Cannibals and Carnage: Thrilling Tales of the Sea (vol.1) (Thrilling Tales of the Sea #1)
by Graham FaiellaIn the nineteenth century true stories of cannibal tribes massacring white traders (and vice versa) and missionaries fed the morbid appetites of Europeans, North Americans and colonials. Accounts of cannibalism committed by seafarers on their dead shipmates quickened the pulses of landfolk even more, and pricked their moral disquiet. Acts of desperate men committing unspeakable atrocities. The warring frenzy of cannibal headhunters and their gruesome feasting. Such was the stuff of real-life ‘sixpenny romances’, rich in human butchery and garnished with treachery and terror. The more atrocious the at rocities, the more exotic the locations; the more sensational the narratives, the greater was the thrall of these thrilling tales of the sea.
The Knights Templar and Scotland
by Robert FergusonPlaces and books like Rosslyn Chapel and The Da Vinci code have focused attention on Scotland's Knights Templar. Who they were and what they did has been touched upon, but never properly explored until now. They were close advisors to Scotland's early kings; they were major property owners and respected landlords in a harsh and unforgiving time; and they were secretive and arrogant. But did they really flee from France to Scotland just prior to their arrest in 1307? Did they fight with Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn? In The Knights Templar and Scotland Robert Ferguson intertwines Templar and Scottish history, from the foundation of the order in the early twelfth century right up to the present day. Including a comparison of the arrest of the Templars in France with the Templar Inquisition at Holyrood, and an examination of the part they played at Bannockburn, this is an essential book for anyone with an interest in history of the Knights Templar.
Fools and Wise Men: Folk Tales of Wisdom
by Mike O'ConnorBefore schooling was widely available, for most people the classroom was at the fireside, the field and the country lane, where the bards told their tales.Many such folk tales exist to convey life-lessons in an entertaining way. These stories are not the pontifications of ancient philosophers: they are the gleanings of countless storytellers, everyday men and women with hard-won life experiences and pockets full of folklore. The tales reflect the times and places of their origin, but have been handed down from generation to generation, evolving to meet changing times. Some are amusing; some are thought-provoking; all have been polished and honed for so long that their message slips, almost imperceptibly, into the mind. Fools and Wise Men retells these stories for new generations – repaying our debts to the bards of old.
Death, Dynamite and Disaster: A Grisly British Railway History
by Rosa MathesonA safe mode of transport today, the railways were far from vehicles of sleepy commute when they first came into service; indeed, accidents were commonplace and sometimes were a result of something far more sinister. In this fresh approach to railway history, Rosa Matheson explores the grim and grisly railway past.These horrible happenings include memorable disasters and accidents, the lack of burial grounds for London’s dead, leading to the ‘Necropolis Railway’, the gruesome necessity of digging up the dead to accommodate the railways and how the discovery of dynamite gave rise to the ‘Dynamite Wars’ on the London Underground in the 1880s and 1890s. Join Rosa as she treads carefully through the fascinating gruesome history of Britain’s railways.
Murderous Women: From Sarah Dazley to Ruth Ellis
by Paul Heslop Arthur McKenzieSerial poisoners, crimes of passion, brutal slayings and infanticide; this new book examines the stories and subsequent trials behind the most infamous cases of British female killers between the early part of the nineteenth century and the 1950s. Among the cases featured here is that of Sarah Dazley, hanged in 1843 for poisoning her second husband; Mary Ann Cotton, who murdered up to twenty-one people, including many members of her own family; Amelia Dyer, the 'baby farmer' who murdered countless numbers of children; Susan Newell, who murdered her newspaper boy; the execution, in 1923 of Edith Thompson for the murder of her husband, a crime she swore she knew nothing about; and, Ruth Ellis, who gunned down her boyfriend outside the Magdala Tavern in 1955, the last woman to lawfully hang in Britain. Retired police detective Paul Heslop has carefully and objectively analysed each of these prominent British cases. His narrative includes post-trial material as well as the executions of the offenders. Finally, he offers his 'verdict', taking into account all the circumstances so that there are times when justice itself is put on trial.
Great War Britain Middlesbrough: Remembering 1914-18
by Paul Menzies Dorman Dorman Museum Dorman MuseumThe First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: Middlesbrough offers an intimate portrayal of the city and its people living in the shadow of the ‘war to end all wars’. A beautifully illustrated and highly accessible volume, it describes local reaction to the outbreak of war; charts the experience of individuals who enlisted; the changing face of industry and related unrest; the work of the many hospitals in the area; the effect of the conflict on local children; and concludes with a chapter dedicated to how the city and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime once more. The Great War story of Middlesbrough is told through the voices of those who were there and is vividly illustrated through evocative images.
The Ipswich Witch: Mary Lackland and the Suffolk Witch Hunts
by David L. JonesAgainst the backdrop of the largest witch hunt in English history, this book is both an investigation of a miscarriage of justice 366 years old and an in-depth recreation of East Anglia as it once was. Ipswich, faced by the extreme challenges of war, religious dissent, poverty, sickness and the threat of foreign invasion, became an ideological battlefield during the civil wars. As Puritanism struggled against Catholic sensibilities, the Devil himself loomed at the door of every English home, and the age of the witchfinder was born. This book aims to challenge some of our stereotypes of the period, and to show how witch hunts do not stand apart from history but reflect the growth in Puritan sects, gender politics, the exploitation of the poor, the importance of popular beliefs in the occult and the rise of English power in the New world. Written by David L. Jones of the Ipswich Museum, and inspired by his time living in rural Nepal, where witchcraft is considered an everyday reality, it will fascinate visitors and residents alike.
London's Curse: Murder, Black Magic and Tutankhamun in the 1920s West End
by Mark BeynonThroughout the 1920s and 1930s, London was gripped by the supposed curse of Tutankhamun, whose tomb in the Luxor sands was uncovered in February 1923 by the British archaeologist Howard Carter. The site was plundered, and over the next few years more than twenty of those involved in the exhumation or in handling the contents of the tomb perished in strange and often terrifying circumstances, prompting the myth of the 'Curse of Tutankhamun'. Nowhere - particularly London's West End - appeared to be safe for those who had provoked the ire of the Egyptian death gods. A blend of meticulous research and educated conjecture, historian and screenwriter Mark Beynon turns armchair detective as he uncovers a wealth of hitherto unpublished material that lays bare the truth behind these fatalities. Could 'London's Curse' be attributed to the work of a macabre mastermind? It soon becomes apparent that these deaths were not only linked by the ominous presence of Tutankhamun himself, but also by a murderer hell-bent on retribution and dubbed by the press as 'The Wickedest Man in the World'.
Scottish Genealogy (Fourth Edition)
by Bruce DurieThis fully revised and updated fourth edition of Scottish Genealogy is a comprehensive guide to tracing your family history in Scotland. Written by one of the most authoritative figures on the subject, the work is based on established genealogical practice and is designed to exploit the rich resources that Scotland has to offer. After all, this country has possibly the most complete and best-kept set of records and other documents in the world. Addressing the questions of DNA, palaeography and the vexed issues of clans, families and tartans, and with a new chapter on DNA and genetic genealogy, Bruce Durie presents a fascinating insight into discovering Scottish ancestors. He covers both physical and electronic sources, explains how to get beyond the standard ‘births, marriages and deaths plus census’ research, and reminds the reader that there are more tools than just the internet. Comparisons are made with records in England, Ireland and elsewhere, and all of the 28 million people who claim Scottish ancestry worldwide will find something in this book to challenge and stimulate. Informative and entertaining, this new edition is the definitive reader-friendly guide to genealogy and family history in Scotland.
Lindell's List: Saving British and American Women at Ravensbrück
by Peter HoreAlready a decorated heroine of the First World War, British-born Mary Lindell, Comtesse de Milleville, was one of the most colourful and courageous agents of the Second World War, yet her story has almost been forgotten. Evoking the spirit of Edith Cavell, and taking the German occupation of Paris in 1940 as a personal affront, she led an escape line for patriotic Frenchmen and British soldiers. After imprisonment, escape to England, a secret return to France and another arrest, she began to witness the horrors of German-run prisons and concentration camps. In April 1945, a score of British and American women emerged from the Women’s Hell – Ravensbrück concentration camp – who had been kept alive by the willpower and the strength of one woman, Mary Lindell. She combined a passion for adventure with blunt speech and persistently displayed the greatest personal bravery in the face of great adversity. To counter German claims that they had no British or American prisoners, Mary smuggled out a plea for rescue and produced her list from her pinafore pocket, compiled in secret from the camp records. This vital list contained the names of captured women, many of whom were agents of British Military Intelligence, the Special Operations Executive or the French Resistance. Poignantly supported by first-hand testimony, Lindell’s List tells the moving story of Mary Lindell’s heroic leadership and the endurance of a group of women who defied the Nazis in the Second World War.