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.
In the Western world, coffee consumption is around one-third that of tap water. After petroleum, coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world. Over 7 million metric tons are produced annual
This accessible, chronological narrative for general readers and history buffs describes the leadership, strategy, and various missions of the German Luftwaffe in WWII, seeking to understand what led
The British weather. Subject of endless complaint, small-talk savior of the British public, famously changeable. We all feel we know it well, as a largely benign and gentle backdrop to our lives. But
Through images and brief descriptions, this volume traces the history of the Rosyth dockyard and naval base in Scotland, which was started in 1909 due to the naval arms race between Britain and German
The Roman Army reigned supreme for over 1,000 years. From Britain to Syria, and from the Rhine and Danube to North Africa, there is abundant evidence of the activities of its legionaries and auxiliary
At about 7 p.m. on 27 July 1916, the Germans committed one of the worst atrocities of the First World War. Captain Charles Algernon Fryatt, Master of the Great Eastern Railway ship SS Brussels, had be
There’s nothing quite like a refreshing drink after a day on the fells and hills of the Yorkshire Dales. Scenic beauty, majestic views, impressive crags, towering cliffs, peaceful tarns, extensive ca
Light in the Darkness examines the origins of the lightship service, the obstacles and prejudices that faced originators of the idea and the subsequent development of the vessels and working practices
This book provides a fresh perspective on the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives by embarking on a journey through the manors, castles and palaces in which their lives were played out. This journey trace
Have you ever wondered what the Tudors ate? What was served at the courtly feasts of Henry VIII, or what kept peasants alive through the harsh winters of the sixteenth century? The Tudor Cookbook pro
The federal immigration station on Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, opened on 1 January 1892. In the peak years of immigration to the United States, between 1905 and 1914, an average of 1 million
Isabella of France (c. 1295-1358), who married Edward II in January 1308, is one of the most notorious women in English history. In 1325/26, sent to her homeland to negotiate a peace settlement betwee
The Victorian parson is an unsung hero. Legend and literature portray him, at best, as the bearer of a thin veneer of piety which covers his hypocrisy; at worst, as a buffoon or a charlatan. Yet amid
Richard III is probably the York family’s best-known member, but the rest of the dynasty is equally intriguing. From Richard’s father, the Duke of York, to his brother Edward IV, a warrior cast in tru
Home of the most stunning public gardens in Britain, South East England’s wealth of internationally renowned gardens are a must see, and here the author provides a guide to the wonderful gardens the r
Hurley in Berkshire is an ancient village lying quietly to the west of London on the banks of the River Thames. Over the past 1000 years it has experienced its fair share of historic events, from Roya
Top Withins Farm on Stanbury Moor, West Yorkshire, is internationally famous as the inspiration for Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and visited every year by hundreds of thousands of people from all
Immortalised by the chronicler Froissart as the most beautiful woman in England and the most loved, Joan was the wife of the Black Prince and the mother of Richard II, the first Princess of Wales and
The quest for the Water Speed Record is one of the most dangerous, least forgiving and most unheralded of endeavours. Defined by the fatal crash of Donald Campbell in 1967 on Lake Coniston, it lacks s
The 1954 film On the Waterfront brought to life the New York docks of the 1950s, when it was often said that a ship, usually a freighter, arrived or departed every twenty-four minutes, around the cloc
In 1904 an eccentric inventor, Noel Pemberton-Billing, took an interest in flying machines. In the spirit of the pre-Wright brothers pioneers, he launched himself off the roof of his house in a flight
From its foundation by the Romans in the middle of the first century and its revival under Alfred the Great in the late ninth century, London grew and flourished. It prospered as a trading city, as we
Amelia Bassano was born in 1569 into a family of Venetian Jews who were court musicians to Queen Elizabeth I. At about the age of thirteen, she became mistress to the fiftysix-year-old Lord Hunsdon, H
The enduring legacy of those who said ?No’. January 2016 marks the centenary of the Military Service Act, which brought in conscription after the large-scale loss of manpower in the major campaigns o
During the autumn of 1888 a serial killer stalked, brutally murdering his way through the East End of London. Some called him the ‘Whitechapel Monster’, while locals referred to him as ‘Leather Apron’
Barbara Harper-Nelson was once the nineteen-year-old girlfriend of twenty-two-year-old French airman Francis Usai, who served in the RAF Bomber Command. Amazingly, she still possesses the letters she
Steamship Travel in the Interwar Years: Tourist Third Cabin offers a window into a bygone era in which modern steamships like the Queen Mary, the Normandie, and the Olympic transported new breeds of t
This is the fascinating story of the development of early British steam fire engines by a renowned expert on emergency services vehicles and equipment. Ronald Henderson, a member of the Fire Brigade S
"From a water-laden bog in the Cambrian Mountains of Wales to the mighty Bristol Channel, the River Severn carves its way through some of the most picturesque and varied landscapes in the country. Riv
Over the past generation the Class 66 has been one of Britain's most successful and reliable diesel locomotives. After being introduced in the late 1990s, the Class has been involved in various new c
