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
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
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
On 16 August 1819 on St Peter’s Field, Manchester, a peaceful demonstration of some 60,000 workers and reformers was brutally dispersed by sabrewielding cavalry, resulting in at least fifteen dead and
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
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 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
The Albigensian crusade (1209–29) by the Catholic Church against the Cathar heretics of southern France is commonly ascribed to religious fanaticism. This book is the first to offer a dedicated
London, 1882: In this her final case, Frances Doughty goes undercover for Her Majesty’s Government to investigate some disturbing information regarding the apparently innocuous Bayswater Bicycle
The Crimean War was the most destructive conflict of Queen Victoria’s reign, the outcome of which was indecisive; most historians see it as an irrelevant, unnecessary conflict despite Florence N
Former soldier Ken Wharton witnessed the troubles in Northern Ireland first hand. Bloody Belfast is a fascinating oral history given a chilling insight into the killing grounds of Belfast’s stre
Once hailed by John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Brando", latterly known as a ruined genius whose unpredictable, hellraising behavior was legendary, Nicol Williamson always went his
Queen Victoria was the first in a new breed of Cunard Ships: her unique design is enhanced to give her the ability to cross the North Atlantic. Introduced to service in 2007, Queen Victoria has had a
Operation Basalt was carried out by British commandos on the island of Sark on the night of October 3-4, 1942, intended to serve several purposes. The raid itself was a tactical success: a German pris
From European favorites such as Mastichato Chios, which saved 2,000 Greeks from a bloody massacre at the hands of vengeful Turks, to legendary drinks such as Amarula, invented by African elephants; fr
Though Basil Rathbone had a long and distinguished acting career, it was as Sherlock Holmes that he achieved worldwide fame. This long overdue biography discusses how, appearing in 14 Holmes films, Ra
For more than 50 years, Albert R. Broccoli’s Eon Productions has endured critical wrath and acclaim in equal measure for its now legendary James Bond series. Changing tax regimes forced 007 to r
Wellington is a giant because he was one of the greatest military commanders in British history, an important figure in the emergence of Britain as a great imperial power, a man who dominated British
After more than half a century of comparative neglect, the crucial period encompassing Charles I’s captivity after his surrender to the Scots at Newark in 1646 is ripe for re-examination—w
Mildred Bruce enjoyed a privileged upbringing that allowed her to search for thrills beyond the bounds of most female contemporaries. She stole her brother’s motorbike at 15. She raced at Brookl
In World War II, an ornate Victorian mansion overlooking the River Thames at Medmenham was the Headquarters of the Allied Central Interpretation Unit. It was here that the air photography, obtained by
Founded in 1825 by the 21-year-old George Thompson Jnr, the Aberdeen Line developed over 100 years into being one of the best-respected shipping lines in Britain. Initially traversing the short sea, A
The October Revolution happened in November 1917. Later Soviet propaganda "proved" it was "the will of the people," but few know that the brutal rebellion, which killed millions an
By the 1970s, it looked as if QE2 would be the last of the great transatlantic ocean liners. However, more than three decades later the world watched in awe as Queen Mary 2, the largest, longest, gran
In 1933, the Admiralty banned "Blinker" Hall from publishing his autobiography, but here, for the first time, those chapters that survived are presented in full. See what the renowned spymas
This book traces the development of the four coastal villages often referred to as the Four Sisters’ that make up the eastern part Dublin 4 from their foundation to the prese
When nine friends set out from England in 1969 to travel the world in a double-decker bus called "Hairy Pillock," little did they know that they would become honorary citizens of Texas, hold the keys
One of Henry VII’s most prized possessions was the preserved leg of St. George. In February, 1789, George III pursued a bestselling lady novelist in a high-speed chase through Kew Gardens. When
Scandal existed long before celebrity gossip columns, often hidden behind the closed doors of the Georgian aristocracy. But secrets were impossible to keep in a household of servants who listened at w
Of every 100 operational airmen in World War II, nine were killed flying in England and three severely injured in crashes; non-operational casualties numbered more than 15,000. Operational casualties
Sir John Pryce of Newtown Hall died in 1761. He kept the embalmed bodies of his first two wives on either side of his bed—until his third wife insisted that they were removed. America is named a
As the war in Europe entered its final months, the world teetered on the edge of a Third World War. While Soviet forces smashed their way into Berlin, Churchill ordered British military planners to pr
It was October 24, 1914 when Morris Meredith Williams, a man of diminutive stature first attempted to join up. It wasn’t until April 1916 that the army finally allowed him to fight for his country, in
For 11 years, from his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690 until his death in 1701, James II lived in one of the most spectacular baroque palaces in Europe at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, holding
Melancholy Witness is the published collection of the images of Seán Hillen’s lauded exhibition of photography, documenting the years of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Combining person
This book covers the history of the city of Edinburgh from the first Mesolithic explorers who camped on the shores of the Forth some 10,000 years ago to the controversies of modern times.
