From the early 1930s until the end of that decade, long-distance air travel was the preserve of the flying-boat, which transported well-heeled passengers in ocean-liner style and comfort across the oc
The Times on Cinema opens the Times’ and the Sunday Times’ vast archives of reviews and coverage of Hollywood’s most treasured films. Featuring many of cinema’s most revered cr
"War," wrote Cardinal Richelieu, "is one of the scourges with which it has pleased God to afflict men." Yet the prelate’s mournful observation scarcely begins to encapsulate
The iconic figure of Robert the Bruce has gone down through the centuries as one of the most remarkable leaders of all time. With equal parts tenacity and ruthlessness, he had himself crowned King of
John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer was a multi-millionaire kingpin of the British underworld, who would go on to mastermind a criminal empire to dwarf any crook of his generation. Palmer hit the big time in 198
This nostalgic book follows the story of the last class-divided passenger ships that carried travellers from point to point. Not port-filled cruise ships, in those final years, spanning the 1940s thro
Communicating in the chaos of war is complicated, but vital. Signals intelligence makes it possible. In World War I, a vast network of signals rapidly expanded across the globe, spawning a new breed o
BRIXMIS (British Commander-in-Chief’s Mission to the Group Soviet Forces of Occupation in Germany) is one of the most covert elite units of the British Army. They were dropped in behind "en
"Fake news." "Psycho." "Enemy of the people." The insults President Donald Trump and the media hurl at each other are, in fact, nothing new. Over many centuries, jou
Eleven o’clock on the morning of November 11, 1918 heralded the end of a frightful era of bloody fighting and loss that affected every corner of the globe. However, upon the signing of the Armis
One of Britain’s most loved cruise ships, Aurora entered service in 2000. Built by Meyer Werft and named by HRH The Princess Royal, she was specifically designed for the British cruise market an
The invention of the airplane was the dawn of a new way of traveling, its potential quickly realized as aircraft were developed to carry mail, and then passengers, over distances that would previously
While the heroic exploits of ‘The Few’ of Fighter Command are rightly lauded, those of ‘The Many’ of Bomber Command remain overlooked. Night after night, the bomber crews ranged across Europe seeking
In 1943, as war raged along the Eastern Front, the German forces attempted to push further east in the brutal Operation Citadel, which saw one of the largest armoured clashes in history in the Battle
It is no secret that the Antarctic is one of the most dangerous, forbidding places for explorers to step foot in. The terrain is treacherous, the wildlife predatory and the climate fatal if not adequa
1217: Commoner-turned-earl’s-man Edwin Weaver joins the earl’s army as it marches for the Kent coast to defend the realm against an invading French fleet. But when a series of accidents pu
Churchill has gone down in history as one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. From the day the Second World War was declared he stood out as the only man wanting to take offensive action
Roughly 30,000 years ago, something incredible happened, changing the world forever: an ape-like creature painted a story onto a cave wall. This became the most important invention for that species. I
To tie in with the release of his first James Bond film, Live and Let Die, Roger Moore agreed to keep a day-by-day diary throughout the film’s production which was published just ahead of the pr
The breaking of the Enigma machine is one of the most heroic stories of World War II and highlights the crucial work of the codebreakers of Bletchley Park, which prevented Britain’s certain
Shirley Baker started to photograph the streets of Manchester and Salford in the early 1960s when homes were being demolished and communities were being uprooted. 'Whole streets were disappearing and
This is the story of two single-handed non-stop round-the-world voyages: Robin Knox-Johnston’s in 1968/9 and Ellen MacArthur’s in 2004/5. Although there were similarities (both voyages started and fin
From the untold magic (and fear) of an uncle’s VHS recording of Close Encounters of The Third Kind to childhood crushes on Christopher Reeve, bedroom remakes of Return of The Jedi, meeting Darth
He was the son of a hereditary peer, one of the wealthiest men in Britain. At the age of 21 he founded The Film Society, and became a pioneering standard-bearer for film as art. He was a collaborator
A Haverin’ History of Scotland takes an irreverent look at Scottish history. The book is a chronological narrative of Scotland’s long and impressive history, from the highs of Bannockburn
London’s 100 Most Extraordinary Buildings reveals the stories behind the capital’s strangest and most enigmatic buildings. While some are open to the public—if you know who to ask&md
London’s 100 Strangest Places takes a sideways look at the capital, revealing the hidden stories, curious histories and sometimes comic associations behind dozens of sometimes quite familiar pla
In late autumn 1968, callow youth Dorian Bond was charged with traveling to Yugoslavia to deliver cigars and film stock to legendary Hollywood director Orson Welles. The pair soon struck up an unlikel
Few kings have been more savagely caricatured or grossly misunderstood than England’s first Stuart. Yet, as this new biography demonstrates, the modern tendency to downplay his defects and minim
This book tells the fascinating story of this truly unique aircraft’s design and development as an icon of American airpower, and relives its glorious record in the Vietnam War, various Arab-Isr
The Boeing Hornet is a twin engined multi-role supersonic jet fighter of the 3rd generation. Derived from the McDonnell Douglas YF-17 light-weight fighter concept, its twin-engine reliability, option
Freighters of the 1950s and ’60s – with masts, booms & hatches – were the last of their generation. It was the end of an era, just before the massive transition to faster, more efficient containerized
DO you know what Áine's tiny spoon was used for? What was hiding up Mrs O'Flaherty's chimney? How did the fairy man help the tailor's apprentice? Who was the little flower of Castleknock Castle?
The oral storytelling traditions of the British Isles have connected people to the land and to their plant and animal neighbors for centuries. This collection brings together story wisdom from England
Reliable genealogical conclusions depend on reliable data. Central to any good investigation is an appreciation of where the data came from so that other investigator can re-examine it and re-establis
This book features bikes from Honda, Yamahah, Suzuki, Harley Davidson, Triumph, and more. It also reveals fascinating details from the builders and workshops, including Sinroja, Auto Fabrica, and Old
The Jaguar was an iconic aircraft to come from Anglo-French collaboration and one of the first to be conceived with a predatory attack and low-level strike capability. Retired before its time, for Fra
The second millennium of mankind has been characterized by almost incessant warfare somewhere on the face of the globe. This book serves as a snapshot of the development of warfare over the past 1,000
St. Ermin's Hotel has been synonymous with British espionage since the 1930s, when the SIS (MI6) was situated nearby at 54 Broadway. Bristling with intelligence officers such as Ian Fleming and N&
