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
Fred Judge, born in Wakefield in 1872, was one of the great pioneers of early postcard publishing. He moved to Hastings in 1902 and, with his brother Thomas, set up a photography business. Though the
The Stuart era was a turbulent time in a world on the brink of change. Diarists from the famous Samuel Pepys to the gardener John Evelyn here brush shoulders with anonymous household accounts and well
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
"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
When the author first moved to Southampton from Middlesex in 1985, he thought it was rather like a provincial town in comparison to London and its outer suburbs. But already things were beginning to c
London’s Docklands have a rich and varied history. Dating from the Middle Ages, they developed into one of the biggest docks in the world. The riches of Britain’s Empire found its way into the country
In 1897, a revolutionary new type of ship blasted its way through the Royal Review at an unprecedented 30+ knots. This small vessel, still extant in Newcastle, was the Turbinia, and she was powered by
He had one of the more unglamorous jobs in the Second World War, but self-taught violinist George Warner’s letters home from the North African and Italian campaigns – in which he served as a dispatch
Throughout the Celtic world, in Britain, Ireland and France, the legacy of the Celtic saints remains visible. It is not easy to come close to the Celtic saints as many of their biographies were writte
On a blustery, West Highland summer’s day in the early 1950s, a black-hulled mail steamer plowed its way northwards from Mallaig up through the Sound of Sleat between the mainland of Scotland and the
Haunted Gardens is a brand new book from the renowned supernatural writer, Peter Underwood. The world today is fascinated by life after death, and the affect that the ‘other side’ has on our lives. Pa
The art of tattoos goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years and today they are more popular than ever, but how many people really know the story behind tattoos? With a fascination for the Victor
For more than 100 years, police and Ripperologists have tried in vain to put a name to the faceless silent killer. In 1975, Richard Whittington-Egan published A Casebook on Jack the Ripper, now e
Hans Rose was Germany's fifth most successful U-boat Ace during World War I, and its most successful ace during the convoy period when attacks by U-boats were the most dangerous. This meticulously
The unique profile of Edinburgh was born of a marriage between nature's sculpture and man's architecture. The epicenter is Castle Rock—a volcanic plug—which draws the eye from all
This book covers the Honda Valkyrie from its inception to its latest iteration as the Gold Wing Valkyrie/F6C. Starting with a brief history of Honda and the original Valkyrie concept, it moves on to d
As in many countries in the 1970s, South African railways were making the change over from steam to diesel and electric traction at an ever-increasing pace. As a member of the Locomotive Club of Great
The Isle of Wight is one of England's smallest counties and is situated off the Hampshire coast in southern England. The main bus operator is Southern Vectis, which was a National Bus Company thro
Explore 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 played out. This journey traces their s
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been a powerhouse franchise ever since the debut of the indie comic book back in 1984. The TMNT have captivated kids and those young at heart for over thirty years
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
The Second World War was the most widespread conflict in human history. Involving over 100 million people from more than thirty nations, it completely reshaped the world as we know it and led to the b
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 Victorian age, the age of industrial revolution and expansion of cities, was also the age of an explosion of interest in the practice of gardening. This was not merely a private pastime. For the f
The Battle of the Somme epitomized the mud and death of the Western Front. 1 July 1916 witnessed the opening round of the British Army attempt to break through an eighteen mile front of heavily defend
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
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
Built at the end of the Depression and launched on the weekend of the Munich Crisis, the Queen Elizabeth's maiden voyage was a wartime dash to New York to escape the Luftwaffe's bombs. After a wartime
Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, has been called the most unlikely King of England. Yet his rise from obscurity was foretold by the bards, and by 1485, the familial bloodbath of the Wars of the Rose
Despite—or perhaps because of—the privations of war, the 1940s was one of the greatest decades for fashion in Britain. The mantra of ‘make-do and mend’ spawned a decade of crea
In the early morning of 20 April 1942, forty-seven Spitfire Vs of 601 and 603 Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force launched from the deck of the American aircraft carrier the USS Wasp, which had saile
Since the opening of the Channel Tunnel and its associated high-speed lines, it is now possible to travel by train from London to Paris in about two hours. For many passengers, arrival at the Gare du
First launched in 1976, the Lotus Esprit was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and based on a Lotus Europa chassis. The following year, the car made its debut in the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, where
Love him or loathe him, everybody is interested in the phenomenon that is Donald Trump. In the 100 facts contained within, Ruth Ann Monti brings us up close to the man and the brand. Even seasoned Tru
A strict code of conduct governed courtship and marriage in Regency England during the period in which Jane Austen's novels were set, broadly 1796 to 1816. At a time when womens' only real amb
When the tall, athletic Edward of York seized the English throne in 1461, he could have chosen any bride he wanted. With his dazzling good looks, few were able to resist his charm and promises. For th
This book on Dinky Toys takes a brief look at the fascinating life of the founder of Meccano, Frank Hornby, and the very varied range of children’s products which came out of the Binns Road factory in
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
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
