Anna Podgajecki was born in Korzec, on the Polish–Russian border. As life for the Jews became steadily worse, Anna’s parents insisted that she, the oldest of their seven children, try to escape, survi
From the days of being one of the country's most popular seaside resorts, and summer residence of King George III, through prominent roles in the First and Second World Wars, to their current status a
The battlefields of England and Scotland are a strongly neglected but important part of the UK's national heritage, and what remains today and the current usage of the sites is very varied. Some, like
Did you ever wonder what the Tudors ate and drank? What was Elizabeth I's first meal after the defeat of the Spanish Armada? Which pies did Henry VIII gorge on to go from a 32 to a 54-inch waist? The
For generations, the ancestors of Welshmen Owen Tudor had fought Romans, Irish Picts, Vikings, Saxons, Mercians and Normans. His uncles had been executed in the Glyndwr Welsh War of Independence, his
In the decades leading up to 1970s, passenger air transport was the preserve of the well-to-do who flew on airliners driven by propellers. Over the next few years all this was about to change. The pas
Before the age of the lighthouse Scotland’s untamed seas and perilous rocky coast too often witnessed the watery end to the mariner’s voyage. From its establishment in 1786, it was the rem
Macabre crimes have long fascinated us, and our murky past ensures that we have no shortage of tales to chill and entertain in equal measure. From Jack the Ripper to John George Haigh, from Dr Crippen
In 1562, Elizabeth I, the last of Henry VIII’s children, lay dying of smallpox, and the curse of the Tudor succession again reared its head. The queen was to recover, but the issue remained: if the qu
This book sets out to illustrate locomotive hauled passenger stock in the 21st century.Whilst the vast majority of regular timetabled services are now in the hands of various types of multiple units,
This is a fighter pilot’s memoir of four tumultuous years, 1938–1942, when he was first trained, then fought and survived in not one but two of the biggest aerial campaigns of the war, the Battle of B
America's many presidents, both famous and obscure, have been as vibrant and varied as the history of the country they have ruled. Over two centuries the presidential seat has been occupied by soldier
Very Special Agent Fifi was described as ‘one of the most expert liars in the world’. Employed by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Churchill’s wartime spook organization, her job was to entrap
As one world vanishes, another takes its place. The objects we collect are a record of the past, and of these objects, the least recorded are often the ones we all take for granted. Antique and vintag
Why did trench tea taste of vegetables?What was the single largest componant of a Tommy's diet? What were 'iron rations'?Why was 'Maconochie' the most despised food at the front?The old adage that 'an
William John “Billy” Bremner is one of the true greats of British football. He captained Don Revie’s Leeds United during the late 1960s and early 70s – the most successful period in their history – an
Emergency Services Vehicle Models is a brief but comprehensive look at fire, police and ambulance toys and models from around the world - and across the decades. Within the pages there are examples of
Ancient Rome captures the imagination like few other historical places or periods. Its dress, buildings, mosaics and inscriptions are instantly recognizable the world over. Romans and their way of lif
In the second half of the fifteenth century, for over thirty years, civil war tore England apart. However, its roots were deeper and its thorns were felt for longer than this time frame suggests.The W
Our great British parks are one of the finest legacies of the Victorian age. Many of our high streets, town halls and public buildings are fitting reminders of this long-lost era, but public parks are
The lives of the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf have long been celebrated for their central roles in the development of modernism in art and literature. Inspired by European Post-Impressionis
It is hard to imagine a more male-dominated field in the nineteenth century than that of sea navigation; this was the high-point of the British Empire and sea navigation drove it. Yet in the midst of
Beginning by drawing parallels between the author's experiences at the British Embassy in Kabul in 2010–2013 and her grandfather's experiences of the same just after Indian Independence in 1948–50, th
During the early part of the sixteenth century England should have been ruled by King Arthur Tudor, not Henry VIII. Had the first-born son of Henry VII – Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486-1502) – lived i
The Anglo-Saxon age was one of great change and unrest. Lasting from the departure of the Romans in approximately AD 400 until the Norman invasion in AD 1066, this era was defined by the continued spr
An accomplished biography of the Norman king who conquered England in 1066, changing the course of the country forever. Of Franco-Scandinavian descent through his father, Duke Robert 'the Magnificent'
Dolls' houses have a long history, stretching from ancient Egypt to sixteenth-century Bavaria to modern global mass production. Today, fine collections of houses exist, for example across Britain and
The British Empire had a rich, varied and controversial history, commonly perceived to have spanned 500 years from the era of Columbus and his voyages of discovery to the break up of the Empire after
There are many accounts of the Battle of the Somme by surviving British soldiers. But the Somme was not a single battle but a series of offensives and small localized attacks fought over four and a ha
In the latter years of the fourteenth century a child was born, so unimportant that even his exact date of birth is unknown. Yet before his twenty-seventh birthday the turn of fortune’s wheel had brou
Oh, I love London Society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics. Just what Society should be.' Oscar WildeBeautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics explores fascinating
Henry Tudor has been called the most unlikely king of England. Yet his rise from obscurity was foretold by the bards, and the familial bloodbath of the Wars of the Roses by 1485 left Henry as the sole
The Reformation is one of the most important events in world history. It sparked changes in beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that set off a chain of devastating wars in Europe, created the United Stat
Freshly baked bread is an incredibly evocative aroma, feeding in to a shared understanding of this versatile food which has been an important staple in our diet since the dawn of agriculture. There ar
In June 1940, at the age of twenty, Bob Doe believed himself to be the worst pilot in his squadron. Just three months later he was a highly decorated hero of the Battle of Britain. This is the story o
The Indian Scout motorcycle is the favoured mount for Wall of Death riders all over the world. Drawing upon modern and archive material, Wall of Death owner and rider Allan Ford and author Nick Corble
In his time Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the world's greatest engineer. His list of achievements is truly breathtaking, the Thames Tunnel, the first underwater tunnel in the world, the SS Great Britain
Richard, Duke of York is a man most frequently remembered by history as a pyromaniac who set England alight, his burning ambition and unquenchable desire for the throne igniting the Wars of the Roses.
