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Books > History > British & Irish history
Titanic is a fascinating exploration of the most famous maritime
disaster of all time. It delves into the astonishing facts
surrounding the tragedy of 1912 and is essential for anyone wishing
to separate myth from reality. With a range of trivia including
facts about the construction of the vessel deemed to be
'unsinkable', the information is presented in an interesting and
engaging way to embrace a wide variety of readers. This title is
brimming with facts about the Titanic and its passengers, the
history of the Titanic, strange stories of premonitions of the
disaster, conspiracy theories, the various films, the sinking of
the Titanic, the discovery of the wreck and salvage operations, are
all explored. Brief, accessible and entertaining pieces on a wide
variety of subjects makes it the perfect book to dip in to. The
amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting,
surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of
topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in
equal measure.
A local history book for residents and ex-residents this book is
the story of life in Swanscombe from Saxon times to the present day
and the people who lived there, in old and new photographs.
This is the story of Salcombe through the eyes of the Murch family.
Born and bred in the town for generations, and destined to change
its face forever: James who was to become the town's largest
employer constructing most of the buildings around the Estuary, and
Frank - Lt. Cmdr. Francis Murch - who assumed responsibility for
the safety of Salcombe in the dark days of the American build-up to
D Day in 1944.
Who was St Columba? Why was Mary, Queen of Scots executed? When
were the Jacobite risings? Where was the new Scottish Parliament
built? Scotland's vibrant and bloody past captures the imagination.
But there is far more to Scottish history than murder and mayhem,
tragedy and betrayal. In Scotland's History, historian Fiona Watson
looks back across thousands of years into the lives of the people
of Scotland. She captures the critical moments and memorable
personalities known throughout the world - from the Picts to Bonnie
Prince Charlie, and from Macbeth to the Battle of Bannockburn -
revealing the truth behind the myths.
In an absorbing mixture of poignant biography and wonderfully entertaining social history, Daughters of Britannia offers the story of diplomatic life as it has never been told before. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Vita Sackville-West, and Lady Diana Cooper are among the well-known wives of diplomats who represented Britain in the far-flung corners of the globe. Yet, despite serving such crucial roles, the vast majority of these women are entirely unknown to history. Drawing on letters, private journals, and memoirs, as well as contemporary oral history, Katie Hickman explores not only the public pomp and glamour of diplomatic life but also the most intimate, private face of this most fascinating and mysterious world. Touching on the lives of nearly 100 diplomatic wives (as well as sisters and daughters), Daughters of Britannia is a brilliant and compelling account of more than three centuries of British diplomacy as seen through the eyes of some of its most intrepid but least heralded participants.
Prime Ministers delves into the premiership's 300 year history and
unearths a host of fascinating, intriguing and little-known facts
about some of the best-known characters in British history, lifting
the lid on the top job. Find out about the Prime Minister who only
lasted 100 days, another who served for 21 years, or how Downing
Street came to be the Premier's residence. Brief, accessible and
entertaining pieces on a wide variety of subjects makes it the
perfect book to dip in to. "The Amazing and Extraordinary Facts
series" presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and
stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to
inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.
THE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLER WHSmith NON-FICTION BOOK OF
THE YEAR 2018 'The best book you will ever read about Britain's
greatest warplane' Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter
Boys 'A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British
machine' Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607 'As the
RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often
moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes' Mail on Sunday
magazine The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early
days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter
and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so
loved today? In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany's domination of
Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach
since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that Great
Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast,
confident his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything
the Royal Air Force threw at them. What Hitler hadn't planned for
was the agility and resilience of a marvel of British engineering
that would quickly pass into legend - the Spitfire. Bestselling
author John Nichol's passionate portrait of this magnificent
fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates, and the people
who flew and loved them, carries the reader beyond the dogfights
over Kent and Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the
Spitfire's deployment during WWII, from Malta to North Africa and
the Far East, then over the D-Day beaches, it is always accessible,
effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary spirit. Here
are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping first-hand accounts
of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of
sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers, and of
the mechanics who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in
battle-ready condition. Nichol takes the reader on a hair-raising,
nail-biting and moving wartime history of the iconic Spitfire
populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic characters that make you
want to stand up and cheer.
This best-selling title is a handy-format, fully comprehensive
guide to the rulers of the British nations and their chequered
histories, from pre-Roman times to the present day. From King
Kenneth I and Henry VIII through to Princess Diana, the Queen
Mother and Queen Elizabeth II, Kings and Queens: The Concise Guide
reveals the lives and personalities of each monarch - the good,
bad, lazy, greedy, downright wicked, sometimes mad and occasionally
brilliant - and examines the ways in which they have shaped
history. Including family trees, key facts and further details, as
well as timelines to help place each monarch in their historical
context, the book covers the major social, political and commercial
events of each monarch's reign. The author also provides additional
information on the spirit, traditions and innovations of the nation
at the time, including politics, arts, architecture and fashions.
It is a magnificent visual feast in an appealing format, which
guarantees to bring history alive for readers of all ages, through
exciting narrative, famous paintings and rare archive photographs.
General Sir Gordon MacMillan's five children decided to write this
life of their father to learn more about what he had done, and so
allow their children and grandchildren to draw inspiration from the
great man from whom they are descended. Fascinating details came to
light about his bravery in the First World War, his successes in
command in the Second World War, his good fortune in surviving
three assassination attempts during the last years of the British
Mandate in Palestine, and his disagreement with Churchill over the
handling of delicate issues in Gibraltar. But this is not just a
tale of a soldier and his military exploits, and of his subsequent
engagement in civilian and Clan activities in Scotland. It is a
story that is placed in the broader family setting within which his
children feel fortunate to have been brought up.
After my last book, "Grandad Boats", I have been asked by a lot of
fishermen to write another. But you only have one life, so you only
have one story. But I have noticed that of all the books on the
subject of fishing that I have read, the type of fishing that was
done with the ropes was almost never mentioned. So with the help of
the men that have been there and done that, I hope that I have now
laid that to rest.
It was about six years ago that I started to put this book
together. Initially, it was the pubs and inns in Crowland - there
were about 32 - so I started to find the landlords from about 1829
to 1913. I found a few pictures of them but not many as most of
them have now disappeared. Then I came across a picture of the
Abbey Hotel and went to see the landlord, who found a picture of
the floods in Crowland. This then set me off on a trail to find out
more about the 1947 floods in and around Crowland. I spent hours in
Peterborough library finding details about the floods. Then I found
some pictures of the floods on e-Bay and was talking to the person
who I purchased them from. He told me he had about 20-30 pictures
of Crowland during the floods. He said he would send them to me on
a disc. Some weeks later it arrived and to my amazement there were
over 80, not only of the flood but of people, parties, carnivals,
events and lots more. So then I started the long trail to put it
all together into a book. Finally, six years later it was finished;
I do hope that it will bring back memories of 1947 to many people
and hopefully that they can remember some of the places and people
in the book.
By bringing evidence from heraldry, DNA and place names to bear and
by insisting on feasible time lines this two volume work (with
accompanying CD) exposes many of the myths which still mask the
origin stories of so many Scottish Clans - and offers far more
interesting, exciting and accurate replacements. The specific
political situations which made the creation of these myths
necessary or desirable are explained. In order to achieve all this
a fresh understanding of the "clan" has been required - and is
provided - and radical theories have been developed regarding
Pictish place names and the origins of heraldry, while the Norse
Sagas have been placed in a new and viable timeframe, with many
contradictions and errors resolved. Shakespeare's "MacDuff" is
identified, as is the Orkneyinga Saga's "Karl Hundisson". To aid
understanding the accompanying CD includes a family tree showing
the inter-relationships of the participants and a library of Google
Earth placemarks allowing the reader to find all the key locations
- many of them quite obscure - effortlessly. Full colour
illustrations of Heraldic arms add to the richness of the
experience while the Bibliography benefits from being "searchable".
The work focuses on the period of the "House of Canmore" dynasty
(and does not extend beyond 1316), but ancestral lines are traced
back, in some cases nearly 1000 years further. The ancestors of the
Siol Alpin clans are discussed in detail back to the year 810.
Names considered in this Volume: Abernethy Bisset Calder Campbell
Chattan Davidson Farquharson Fraser of Lovat Lamont MacArthur
MacBain MacDonald MacDougall MacDowall MacDuff MacGillivray
Macintyre Mackay Mackenzie Mackintosh MacLaren Maclean of
Dochgarroc MacPhail MacQueen Macpherson MacMillan MacSween McThomas
Munro Oliphant Shaw Stewart Wemyss Also examined and explained in a
very new way: Pictish Placenames The Origins of the Clan System The
Origins of Heraldry The early life of St Patrick The History of
Norway, Orkney and Normandy (700-1030) Scottish Politics (800-1057)
Manuscript 1467
By bringing evidence from heraldry, DNA and place names to bear and
by insisting on feasible time lines this two volume work (with
accompanying CD) exposes many of the myths which still mask the
origin stories of so many Scottish Clans - and offers far more
interesting, exciting and accurate replacements. The specific
political situations which made the creation of these myths
necessary or desirable are explained. In order to achieve all this
a fresh understanding of the "clan" has been required - and is
provided - and radical theories have been developed regarding
Pictish place names and the origins of heraldry, while the Norse
Sagas have been placed in a new and viable timeframe, with many
contradictions and errors resolved. Shakespeare's "MacDuff" is
identified, as is the Orkneyinga Saga's "Karl Hundisson". To aid
understanding the accompanying CD includes a family tree showing
the inter-relationships of the participants and a library of Google
Earth placemarks allowing the reader to find all the key locations
- many of them quite obscure - effortlessly. Full colour
illustrations of Heraldic arms add to the richness of the
experience while the Bibliography benefits from being "searchable".
The work focuses on the period of the "House of Canmore" dynasty
(and does not extend beyond 1316), but ancestral lines are traced
back, in some cases nearly 1000 years further. The ancestors of the
Siol Alpin clans are discussed in detail back to the year 810.
Names considered in this Volume: Colquhoun Comyn Crawford Dunbar
Grant Johnston Kirkpatrick Livingston(e) MacGregor MacNab MacAulay
Mack Mackinnon MacFie MacQuarrie Maguire, Duffy (in Ireland)
MacAlpine Maxton Maxwell Mitchell (in Scotland) Moffat
Montalt/Mohaut (in England) Mowat Ruthven
Just who did the British think they were? For much of the last
1,500 years, when the British looked back to their origins they saw
the looming mythological figure of Brutus of Troy. A
great-great-grandson of the love goddess Aphrodite through her
Trojan son Aeneas (the hero of Virgil's Aeneid), Brutus
accidentally killed his father and was exiled to Greece. He
liberated the descendants of the Trojans who lived there in slavery
and led them on an epic voyage to Britain. Landing at Totnes in
Devon, Brutus overthrew the giants who lived in Britain, laid the
foundations of Oxford University and London and sired a long line
of kings, including King Arthur and the ancestors of the present
Royal Family.Invented to give Britain a place in the overarching
mythologies of the Classical world and the Bible, Brutus's story
long underpinned the British identity and played a crucial role in
royal propaganda and foreign policy. His story inspired generations
of poets and playwrights, including Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton,
Pope, Wordsworth, Dickens and Blake, whose hymn 'Jerusalem' was a
direct response to the story of Brutus founding London as the New
Troy in the west.Leading genealogist Anthony Adolph traces Brutus's
story from Roman times onwards, charting his immense popularity and
subsequent fall from grace, along with his lasting legacy in
fiction, pseudo-history and the arcane mythology surrounding some
of London's best-known landmarks, in this groundbreaking biography
of the mythological founder of Britain.
This is the first book on the genesis, impact and reception of the
most-widely read History of England of the early 18th century: Paul
Rapin Thoyras' Histoire d'Angleterre (1724-27). The Histoire and
complementary works (Extraits des Actes de Rymer, 1710-1724;
Dissertation sur les Whigs et les Torys, 1717) gave practical
expression to theorizations of history against Pyrrhonian
postulations by foregrounding an empirical form of history-writing.
Rapin's unprecedented standards of historiographical accuracy
triggered both politically-informed reinterpretations of the
Histoire in partisan newspapers and a multitude of adaptations that
catered to an ever-growing number of readers. Despite a
long-standing assessment as a "standard Whig historian", Rapin
fashioned the impartial persona of a judge-historian, in compliance
with the expectations of the Republic of Letters. His personal
trajectory illuminates how scholars pursued trustworthy knowledge
and how they reconsidered the boundaries of their community in the
face of the booming printing industry and the interconnected growth
of general readership. Rapin's oeuvre provided significant raw
material for Voltaire's and Hume's Enlightenment historiographical
narratives. A comparative foray into their respective different
approaches to history and authorship cautions us against assuming a
direct transition from the Republic of Letters into an
Enlightenment Republic of Letters. To study the diffusion and the
impact of Rapin's works is to understand that empirical
history-writing, defined by its commitment to erudition in the
service of impartiality, coexisted with the histoire philosophique.
This is the life story of Mark Middleton, born in Stamford,
Lincolnshire, in 1841, died in 1883. He was a mail cart driver for
the Royal Mail but had an accident on Peterborough Town Bridge and
after a long illness died in Lincoln Asylum, aged 42. This all
started by reading an article in the local paper by Percy Hall
which was shown to me by Mick Masters from records kept by his late
wife. I contacted Mrs M. Cary. Percy Hall was her father. She
showed me all the documents her father kept on Mark Middleton.
After seeing these I suggested that it should be turned into a
book. Having been given permission in writing and with the consent
of living relatives, I have started to write this book. So this is
the life of Mark Middleton.
1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. A personal memoir of the highs
and the lows following Roy Rees during World War Two, his pre-war
training and activities through to eventual retirement from the
Army in 1946.
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