In Antony Cummins’ new work, the hidden life of Old Japan is brought to the fore using newly translated original documents from the times of the Samurai. Find out what fate befell a convicted criminal
Isaac Newton had an extraordinary idea. He believed the physical universe and everything in it could be described in exact detail using mathematical relationships. He formulated a law of gravity that
Concorde’s first flight was on 2 March 1969, taking off from Toulouse for what was described as a ‘faultless’ maiden trip lasting 27 minutes. After that it took its place in history as surely the most
The Range Rover was introduced in 1970 and immediately turned the world of luxury cars on its head. Big, powerful and stylish, it was the first four-wheel drive car that was as happy cruising on tarma
Oriana entered service in 1995. Built by Meyer Werft in Germany and named by HM The Queen, she was an instant success, the QE2 of the P&O Line. Today she is a beloved modern classic. Oriana’
All civilizations have faced the challenges and dangers of trading by sea: storms, bad weather, and the hazards of cliffs, headlands, reefs and sandbanks, threatening their safe passage into ports and
The Allied invasion of Europe during summer 1944 was widely expected and it fell to the Axis intelligence services to provide High Command with advance warning of the precise date and place of the lan
Over the years, Katherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, has been slandered as a "juvenile delinquent," "empty-headed wanton," and "natural-born tart" who engaged
D-Day: 6 June 1944, the Normandy landings, and an incredible turning point in the war. Operation Overlord saw Allied forces land on the beaches of northern France, a staggering achievement and the res
An ancient Scots law says that the head of any dead whale found on the Scottish coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail the property of the queen. The Scots excel at elephan
For three decades the Windrush was the maritime Zelig of the 20th century. Designed in 1930 in the Hamburg boatyard of a Jewish shipbuilder to ferry Germans to a new life in South America, it wasn'
July 1940 saw the collaborationist Vichy regime replace the French Republic after the country suffered heavily at the hands of the German onslaught during World War II. A small number of people sought
This collection presents some wonderful tales of ordinary Londoners, but their stories are far from ordinary. They tell of the mighty river, the streets, and the hills of London. But you’ll also find
When Hitler ordered the north of Nazi-occupied Norway to be destroyed in a scorched earth retreat in 1944, everything of potential use to the Soviet enemy was destroyed. Fifty thousand people were for
Katanga 1960-63 tells, for the first time, the full story of the Congolese province that declared independence and found itself at war with the world. The Congo had no intention of allowing the renega
In June 1943, SOE’s Prosper resistance circuit in France led by Major Francis Suttill suddenly collapsed. Was it deliberately betrayed by the British as part of a deception plan to make the Germ
In 1453, Richard, Duke of York, claimed the throne of England from his Lancastrian kinsman Henry VI, and set off a series of conflicts between rival branches of the English royal family, better known
SOE agent Violette Szabó was one of the most incredible women who operated behind enemy lines during World War II. The daughter of an English father and French mother, and widow of a French arm
The White Star Line’s Oceanic was the largest ship in the world in 1899 when she was launched as the company’s "Ship of the Century." She was the company’s last express lin
In Ireland there are four provinces and, within these, are thirty-two counties. Each county and its people are unique, but the one thing they all have in common is their respect and regard for the &qu
The murder of the Princes in the Tower is the most famous cold case in British history. Traditionally considered victims of a ruthless uncle, there are other suspects too often and too easily discount
With a plot to grace any comic opera, the 1859-1872 "Pig War" broke out when an American living on a quietly disputed island in the Gulf of Georgia shot a British pig. The nearby Vancouver I
Norman Cross was the site of the world’s first purpose-built prisoner-of- war camp constructed during the Napoleonic Wars. Opened in 1797, it was more than just a prison: it was a town in itself, with
This book tells the amazing story of Newcastle upon Tyne’s history from earliest times to the modern day. Some of the most pivotal moments in the city’s history are recalled, including rebellions, int
The double act has been at the heart of British entertainment for over 150 years, yet there has never been a book detailing how this form of comedy continues to develop. From music hall turns such as
Our image of workhouses has often been coloured by the writings of authors such as Charles Dickens. But what was the reality? Where exactly were all these institutions located? And what happened to th
After the guns fell silent in May 1945, Stalin installed secret police services in the satellite countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Trained by his NKVD—a predecessor of the KGB—offic
For all the richness and nuance of the English language there are some words that other languages simply do better—whether it’s an insult that just hits the spot, a phrase that beautifully
To tie in with the release of Live and Let Die, Roger Moore agreed to keep a day-by-day diary throughout the film’s production, which would be published just ahead of the premiere in July 1
Mata Hari is revealed here in all of her flawed eccentricity; a woman whose adult life was a fantastical web of lies, half-truths and magnetic sexuality that captivated men. Following the death of a y
The Orient Line’s beginnings can be traced back to 1797. Created for the purpose of operating a fleet of steamships between London and the Australian Colonies, it was a venture into the unknown, its s
Few countries have subjected themselves to more introspection than the UK in the last three years. The decisions to leave the EU, not to destroy the UK via a breakaway by Scotland, and to create a vir
John Nicholson was born in Dublin and sent to India as a child-soldier at the age of 16. He fought in the first Anglo-Afghanistan war, the two Anglo-Sikh wars and the Great Mutiny, dying in the thick
Wallis Simpson was the woman who stole the king’s heart and rocked the monarchy—but she was not Edward VIII’s first or only love. There was Rosemary Leveson Gower, the girl he wanted
Why did London have to wait so long for a main line railway beneath its streets? For a few years in the mid-nineteenth century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s broad gauge Great Western trains ran from Read
Since the Luftwaffe’s 1940 Eagle Day attack on Britain, aerial warfare and its accompanying technology has changed almost beyond recognition. The piston engine was replaced by the jet and the pi
When Spitfire at War first appeared in 1974, it enjoyed critical acclaim, for the aircraft had never been described in such terms and detail before. It was followed by a second volume in 1985 and a th
This book presents an analysis of how Napoleon turned the ragged armies of the French Revolutionary Wars into the most efficient and professional military body in Europe at the time. All aspects of hi
On 21 December 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew. Large sections of the aircraft crashed onto residential areas of Locke
