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Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Local history

Chichester - An Illustrated History (Paperback): Ken Green Chichester - An Illustrated History (Paperback)
Ken Green
R477 Discovery Miles 4 770 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This is a fascinating account of the developments that created Chichester. It offers an insight into the events and individuals who shaped the town's history. It is illustrated with hundred of photographs, maps and drawings. Ken Green's densely illustrated history of Chichester gives a fascinating account of the varied and surprising events, personalities and wider developments that created the town of the present day. In a series of vivid historical snapshots, he takes the reader through thousands of years of history, from the earliest known prehistoric settlement, through the Roman and medieval periods, to the thriving but well-preserved town of today. He writes of the building of the castle and the cathedral and the medieval layout of the town's streets, which still survives. More recent developments are described too - hospitals, schools, churches, chapels, Victorian terraces, modern estates, the railway and modern roads, all of which make up the contemporary city. At the same time he gives a telling insight into the significant events and individuals who shaped the town's history. His book is illustrated with hundreds of photographs, maps and drawings from the author's collection, from the Chichester Observer and the West Sussex Record Office, and it will be essential reading for every Chichester resident, past and present.

Cardiff  -  Those Were The Days (Paperback): Brian Lee Cardiff - Those Were The Days (Paperback)
Brian Lee
R554 Discovery Miles 5 540 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Noble Boatbuilders of Fraserburgh (Paperback): Mike Smylie The Noble Boatbuilders of Fraserburgh (Paperback)
Mike Smylie
R586 R527 Discovery Miles 5 270 Save R59 (10%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

When Alexander Noble established his boatyard in 1898, he probably didn't realise he was also establishing a new Noble tradition. Alexander's yard would soon be handed over to his eldest son Wilson, who would set up Wilson Noble & Co. to build fishing boats - although he would branch out into minesweepers when needed in the Second World War. Meanwhile, second-youngest son James would break out on his own, thinking that the future of boatbuilding lay in yachts. Altogether, these companies built almost 400 boats, some of which are still working today, and would be a fixture on the Fraserburgh shoreline for nearly a century. Packed with images, interviews and recollections from the crew, The Noble Boatbuilders of Fraserburgh is a thoroughly researched tribute to these men and their boats, and is a fascinating look into an industry that once peppered our island's shorelines.

Crafty Bastards - Beer in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day (Paperback): Lauren Clark Crafty Bastards - Beer in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day (Paperback)
Lauren Clark
R470 Discovery Miles 4 700 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Day the Whistles Cried - The Great Cornfield Meet at Dutchman's Cuve (Paperback): Betsy Thorpe The Day the Whistles Cried - The Great Cornfield Meet at Dutchman's Cuve (Paperback)
Betsy Thorpe
R599 R548 Discovery Miles 5 480 Save R51 (9%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days
The Illustrated History of Southampton Suburbs (Paperback): Jim Brown The Illustrated History of Southampton Suburbs (Paperback)
Jim Brown
R534 Discovery Miles 5 340 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Illustrated History of Southampton's Suburbs is the first single-volume survey of the history of the development if the residential areas of the city. Local historian Jim Brown chronicles the growth of the suburbs from the earliest times to the present day and he illuminates the lives of people who lived in them. His fascinating book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the story of Southampton. The narrative is illustrated with more than 200 photographs, drawings and maps. Jim Brown shows how the countryside, farms and villages developed into the urban streets, residential areas, shopping districts and industrial estates that are so familiar today. In the course of the last 150 years, the outskirts of the city have been transformed, and they have expanded, in a way that would astonish Southampton residents of just a few generations ago. The districts featured include Bassett, Bitterne, Bitterne Manor, Bitterne Park, Eastern Docks, Freemantle, Harefield, Highfield, Itchen, Maybush, Merry Oak, Millbrook, Northam, Peartree, Portswood, Redbridge, Shirley, Shirley Warren, Sholing, South Stoneham, St Denys, Swaythling and Woolston.In his fully illustrated account of each suburb, Jim Brown offers a concise history as well as local anecdotes and folklore. He also recalls remarkable episodes and notable individuals who played their part in the story, His survey will be essential reading and reference for Southampton residents past and present, who take an interest in their neighbourhood and in the complex, surprising history of the city itself.

More Southampton Changing Faces (Paperback): Jim Brown More Southampton Changing Faces (Paperback)
Jim Brown
R560 Discovery Miles 5 600 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
High Seas to Home - Daily Dispatches from a Frigate at War (Paperback): Allan Seabridge, Shirley Morgan, David Chadwick High Seas to Home - Daily Dispatches from a Frigate at War (Paperback)
Allan Seabridge, Shirley Morgan, David Chadwick
R530 Discovery Miles 5 300 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The conflict at sea between Allied merchant ships, their Royal Navy escorts and the German U-boats was christened the Battle of the Atlantic by Winston Churchill on 6 March 1941. Churchill said that the 'U-boat peril' was the only thing that ever really frightened him during the Second World War, but 70 years on the men who sailed on the Atlantic convoys are among the forgotten heroes of the conflict. The casualty figures underline the constant peril - almost 3,000 ships were sunk by U-boat action. Reports of torpedoed vessels sinking in under a minute sent a shudder through the nation. But what was it really like? Coder Cliff Greenwood was called up aged 40 and began his naval training at the former Butlin's holiday camp in Skegness, Lincolnshire. From then on he wrote home to his wife almost every day, although posting his letters was not always easy. The letters are a unique insight into life on the Atlantic convoys, for Cliff's duties as a specialist Royal Navy coder meant he was involved in the transmission of coded communications between the escorting warships and their Merchant Navy charges, a role that gave him rare insights into the broader strategic picture. But as well as being a rare first-hand account of life on board a Royal Navy ship on escort duties in the North Atlantic, the letters represent a rich seam of social history.

The Story of Southampton Docks (Paperback): Mike Roussel The Story of Southampton Docks (Paperback)
Mike Roussel
R548 Discovery Miles 5 480 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This book contains 250 photographs and illustrations, including many published for the first time. Interviews from management, unions, 'dockies' and other involved sources give interesting, enlightening and often humorous first-hand accounts of life in and around the docks during this time. Southampton has a long maritime history that can be traced from the invasion of Britain by the Romans in AD43, but the construction of the docks really began in earnest in 1803, when an Act of Parliament made it possible to develop quays and warehouses. "The Story of Southampton Docks" traces the history and development of the docks over the last two centuries. It looks at dock management and the construction of both the Old and New Docks during the period when the docks were known as 'railway docks', managed by London & South Western Railway and later the Southern Railway. It was a time when the docks became famous as the 'Gateway to the World' during the period known as the 'Golden Age of Ocean Travel.' With the outbreak of the Second World War the docks came under the control of the War Department, and during hostilities the docks were heavily bombed. From 1945 the docks' management was faced with competition for trade from abroad, the need to reconstruct the docks after the wartime bombing and labour disputes. The book highlights when the ports were privatised and recalls the introduction of Associated British Ports to manage Southampton Docks. The huge reduction of the dock labour force through redundancies and the retraining of the remaining workforce compelled the docks to be more competitive in the world market. 21st-century trade is increasing in Southampton Docks, with larger container ships and car carriers visiting, but the biggest change witnessed in Southampton is the development of the cruise industry.

Alice Hawkins and the Suffragette Movement (Paperback): Richard Whitmore Alice Hawkins and the Suffragette Movement (Paperback)
Richard Whitmore
R526 Discovery Miles 5 260 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

"Alice Hawkins and the Suffragette Movement" is a study about a woman who gave her life to the cause and, through her personality, shaped the lives of thousands of women. It also seeks to redress the balance and add to our understanding of who the suffragettes were, as an integral organisation and part of women's equality. The campaign for the suffrage is perhaps the best-known aspect of women's political fight in the early part of the 20th century, yet little is known of the local women who engaged in this struggle. Indeed, the assumption that only wealthy women were involved in the militant campaign has led not only to the distortion of the WSPU membership, but it also neglects the significant contribution made by working-class women within it. Previously, few investigations have been carried out into local organisations of the Women's Social and Political Union, and as a consequence our understanding of local women within the party has been limited. Focusing on this central omission, this book, through the life and times of Alice Hawkins, seeks to redress the balance and add to our understanding of who the suffragettes were. But, more importantly, this book is about a woman who gave her life to the cause and, through her personality, shaped the lives of thousands of women. The importance of this book is that it is now slowly being recognised that history cannot shut away the lives and experiences of thousands of women like Alice Hawkins to concentrate on what was, to all intents and purposes, the public sphere. Her history, and those women like her, is an important omission, and without it the social composition of the movement will always remain unclear and the extent to which working women were involved will always remain hidden. Thus, the story of Alice Hawkins and the Leicester WSPU is, without, doubt, crucial to our understanding of the organisation.

Industrial Derbyshire (Paperback): Michael E. Smith Industrial Derbyshire (Paperback)
Michael E. Smith
R541 Discovery Miles 5 410 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Michael E. Smith tells the fascinating story of the inventors, entrepreneurs and artisans who contributed to the Industrial Revolution in Derbyshire. He describes the development of well-known industrial enterprises as diverse as Crown Derby, the Midland Railway, Rolls-Royce and the Butterley Company as well as many others. Derbyshire played an important part in the history of Britain's industrial development. The Romans mined lead here, and from mediaeval times coal mining, iron working and the manufacture of pottery were all important. The Silk Mill, built at Derby in 1722, has a good claim to being Britain's first factory, and in 1771, at Cromford, Richard Arkwright created a system of industrial production, that was copied throughout the world. As water power was replaced by steam, Derbyshire colliers hewed millions of tons of coal to fuel the later phase of the Industrial Revolution. With the coming of the railways, Derby became an important manufacturing centre, and firms such as James Smith, making uniforms, and Bemrose, printing tickets and timetables, piggybacked to prosperity in the wake of this railway boom. By the 20th century a number of engineering firms had established themselves within the county, and in 1940 Spitfires and Hurricanes powered by Rolls-Royce engines won the Battle of Britain. In the post-war world the development of the jet engine and new industries such as nuclear engineering kept Derbyshire in the forefront of technical research and industrial development. Michael E. Smith tells the fascinating story of the inventors, entrepreneurs and artisans who contributed to the Industrial Revolution in Derbyshire as well as later developments in aviation and chemical and nuclear engineering. He describes the development of well-known industrial enterprises as diverse as Crown Derby, the Midland Railway, Offiler's Brewery, Rolls-Royce, Bemrose, the Butterley Company and Toyota as well as many others.

Making the Metropolis - Creators of Victoria's London (Paperback): Stephen Halliday Making the Metropolis - Creators of Victoria's London (Paperback)
Stephen Halliday; Foreword by Maxwell Hutchinson
R676 Discovery Miles 6 760 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Stephen Halliday's beautifully illustrated book shows how the ramshackle collection of communities that entered the 19th century became the world's first metropolis. This fascinating story is told through the lives of eight men who created the Victorian capital and is a must read for all! In 1801 the population of London was almost one million. A century later, on the death of Queen Victoria, it had passed six million, and the city had been transformed. John Nash defined the modern West End with his 'New Street' (Regent Street) between the farm at Regent's Park and the swamp at St James' Park. Marc Brunel invented the tunnelling shield that made the underground railways possible. Thomas Cubitt built houses for aristocrats in Belgravia and homes for the middle classes at Pimlico and Bloomsbury. Sir Charles Barry built the New Palace of Westminster to replace the charred ruins of the old one. Sir Joseph Paxton designed the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851, the profits of which enabled...Alfred Waterhouse to build the Natural History Museum and thus begin the South Kensington museums. Sir Joseph Bazalgette built the sewers, streets and parks that made the metropolis a safe place to live, and...Sir Edward Watkin, chairman of the Metropolitan Railway, began the process that created the suburbs of Metroland and elsewhere. Stephen Halliday's portraits of these remarkable men give a fascinating insight into the diversity of their careers and achievements. They created the imperial capital from which Victoria ruled over the greatest empire the world had ever seen.

True Tales of the Macabre: Within Sight of the Gibbet (Paperback, 2nd edition): Ian Morgan True Tales of the Macabre: Within Sight of the Gibbet (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Ian Morgan
R457 Discovery Miles 4 570 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The small hamlet of Litton nestles in the rolling countryside of the Peak District amid green fields and blue skies. Close to Tideswell, it is the idyllic retreat for those wanting to get away from the pressures of life. Yet do those that visit realise the hardship and death that abounded there almost 200 years ago? Was it this struggle to survive that led Anthony Lingard the younger to commit murder or his younger brother William to commit highway robbery? William Lingard committed Highway robbery within sight of his brother's decaying body and was transported to Australia where he endured punishment after punishment. The story of the Lingard family and those around is one of murder, highway robbery and brutality. When Anthony Lingard the elder married Elizabeth Neal a train of events began that would help change the laws of England

More Ghost Walks in Derbyshire (Paperback, 2nd edition): Barbara Wadd More Ghost Walks in Derbyshire (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Barbara Wadd
R469 Discovery Miles 4 690 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

You should be warned that some of the ghosts are more 'hands on' so you may be pinched or pushed, slapped or have your clothes tugged. You may be locked in a room or shut in a freezer and you may even receive three cold kisses! You will visit some of the less frequented parts of Derbyshire, experiencing the rich diversity of its scenery, from gentle valleys to panoramic viewpoints. On these quieter paths, you will find wildlife undisturbed by the tramp of many feet. Kestrels hover over pastures, jays and woodpeckers may be glimpsed in woodland, buntings chirp from uncut hedges, and, if you are lucky, on three of the walks, a kingfisher may imprint its brilliant hue on your day. The walks include visits to famous halls, houses and castles and a number of fascinating churches. There is information about parking, toilets and refreshment stops and good maps.

Blackheart: The History of Leys Malleable Castings in Derby. The Family and the Foundry (Paperback, 2nd edition): Bob Read Blackheart: The History of Leys Malleable Castings in Derby. The Family and the Foundry (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Bob Read
R468 Discovery Miles 4 680 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

A family firm despite its large size, the company was presided over by four generations of the Ley family between 1873 and 1987. Both the family and the foundry were embedded in the history of Derby and their legacies can still be seen in the city today. The Baseball Ground, built by Sir Francis Ley as a home for the game of baseball, was sold by him to Derby County FC and has only recently been demolished. Remnants of the factory buildings and offices, which once covered an area of over 17 acres, can still be seen in Derby streets. Bob Read, a former employee of Ley's, has put together a fascinating survey of the history of the foundry. This book uncovers a wealth of historical detail, and the account of the firm's fortunes is lavishly illustrated with drawings, photographs and ephemera that bring life to his story of a business that was part of Derby life for over a century.

Murderous Manchester - The Executed of the Twentieth Century (Paperback): John J. Eddleston Murderous Manchester - The Executed of the Twentieth Century (Paperback)
John J. Eddleston
R468 Discovery Miles 4 680 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This is a new paperback version for 2011. It includes absorbing real life accounts of every murder that took place in Manchester during the twentieth century. It features well-known cases and those which are lesser known but equally fascinating tales of jealousy, revenge and tragedy. This book tells the story of every murder which took place in Manchester during the twentieth century and which ended in the execution of the person found guilty of the crime and who went on to pay the ultimate penalty of death by hanging at the end of a rope. Some cases are well-known, such as those of George Rice, William Burtoft and Walter Graham Rowland - who was reprieved for a murder he did commit but was later hanged for one which he may not have committed - but any of the lesser known murders have equally absorbing stories of love, jealousy and lust. Readers will discover child killers such as John Horner, wife killers such as Frederick Ballington, and those who killed out of rage or for revenge, such as James Ryder. And then there was James Henry Corbitt, where the hangman was someone he had known as a friend. All manner of motives are shown, all sorts of weapons are used, but in the final analysis each story represents a human tragedy in which at least two people lost their lives. Read these stories and then decide for yourselves whether or not every one was guilty as charged.

Observations on the River Wye (Hardcover): William Gilpin, Richard Humphreys Observations on the River Wye (Hardcover)
William Gilpin, Richard Humphreys 1
R372 Discovery Miles 3 720 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The work that launched the picturesque movement and changed our ways of looking at landscape forever. A witty, elegant, opinionated pilgrimage of taste. Complete with 17 aquatints drawn by Gilpin as examples of perfected landscape. Introduced by Richard Humphreys, who was Curator of Programme Research at Tate Britain and lead curator of their A Picture of Britain exhibition.

Our Liverpool - Memories of Life in Disappearing Britain (Paperback): Piers Dudgeon Our Liverpool - Memories of Life in Disappearing Britain (Paperback)
Piers Dudgeon 1
R400 Discovery Miles 4 000 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

"Our Liverpool" is an oral history about the real Liverpool--about the city before its slick transformation to European City of Culture and about the spirit that remains at its heart. Here, at last, is Liverpool's grievous and glorious past. And here, through the people's voices, we find old Liverpool, without the gift-wrap. Its stories pulsate with the rhythms of an alternately funny, flippant, belligerent, stubborn, and warm heart, and they broadcast the values of a community, which are the city's true legacy to the modern world. Piers Dudgeon has listened to dozens of people who remember the city as it was, and who have lived through its many changes. They talk of childhood and education, of work and entertainment, of family, community values, health, politics, religion, and music. Their stories will make you laugh and cry. It is people's own memories that make history real and this engrossing book captures them vividly.

Derbyshire Pubs - A Pint Sized History and Miscellany (Paperback): Michael Smith Derbyshire Pubs - A Pint Sized History and Miscellany (Paperback)
Michael Smith
R371 R336 Discovery Miles 3 360 Save R35 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days
Faces of Mallorca - I am Mallorcan! (Paperback, New edition): Mark Julian Edwards, Stephanie Schulz Faces of Mallorca - I am Mallorcan! (Paperback, New edition)
Mark Julian Edwards, Stephanie Schulz
R781 Discovery Miles 7 810 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Faces of Mallorca features fifty-nine locals from the island and authentically captures people's hopes, dreams and aspirations. It showcases the diverse culture and the rich heritage of the past and shows how its people adapt to a bright new future. Whether you love beautiful photography, moving stories or just love Mallorca, Faces of Mallorca transports you into the lives of people in this sunny, warm climate. * Big book format * Full color photography * Foreword by Toni Nadal * Texts by Mark Julian Edwards and Stephanie Schulz * Photography by Mark Julian Edwards

Blackpool's Seaside Stars (Paperback): Steve Singleton, Craig Fleming Blackpool's Seaside Stars (Paperback)
Steve Singleton, Craig Fleming
R531 Discovery Miles 5 310 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

"Blackpool's Seaside Stars" is a fascinating collection of celebrity profiles, together with many rare pictures from the archives, and sprinkled with Gazette readers' memories. This selection only scratches the surface of Blackpool's remarkably deep and rich entertainment heritage. It is an entertaining and enjoyable read! Oh we do like to be beside the seaside...A timeless refrain not just from millions of Blackpool holidaymakers, but also from a galaxy of stars - who helped build the Lancashire resort's reputation as THE major entertainment centre outside London. It was the northern mill workers who helped make Blackpool into Britain's number-one holiday resort. They came in their droves to sample its unique atmosphere and bracing sea breezes. They loved the Tower, the Golden Mile, the Illuminations and Piers, but they also demanded to be entertained throughout the decades. The thirties saw the start of a golden era, with Blackpool beginning to gleam as the capital of seaside fun. Stars of music hall, stage and screen - from both sides of the Atlantic - clamoured to perform in the resort, which could boast some of the biggest and best provincial theatres. Even during the war years Blackpool was fondly regarded as a safe haven, which kept a smile on the face of thousands of service personnel and civil servants, dazzled by appearances from the country's top acts. When the hostilities finally ended, Blackpool bounced back with the finest entertainment line-up in the country, in its heyday offering as many as 15 live shows each night during the summer season. Just about every group and solo star of note in Britain and even America headed here during the fifties and sixties - live radio and TV specials came direct from the resort that really knew how to rock. The fun has continued since the seventies, with families flocking to see summer season shows. So step back in time with legends such as Gracie Fields, Jimmy Clitheroe, George Formby, Laurel and Hardy, Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope, Morecambe and Wise, Hylda Baker, Thora Hird, Sid James, Bruce Forsyth and even The Beatles. More recent household names include Tommy Steele, Les Dawson, Russ Abbot and Cannon and Ball. All have featured in "Seaside Stars", a weekly feature within "The Gazette's" "Memory Lane" pages, which has proved such a hit that it has provided the basis for this book - a fascinating collection of celebrity profiles, together with many rare pictures from the archives, and sprinkled with "Gazette" readers' memories. This selection only scratches the surface of Blackpool's remarkably deep and rich entertainment heritage, but we hope it will be a lasting souvenir to rekindle memories for residents and holidaymakers alike.

Ghosts of London (Paperback): Jonathan Sutherland Ghosts of London (Paperback)
Jonathan Sutherland
R541 Discovery Miles 5 410 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

In "Ghosts of London" Jon Sutherland reveals the stories behind hauntings in theatres, parks, homes, palaces and pubs all over the capital, from Acton to Woolwich. The book is sure to appeal to ghost-hunters of all ages and nationalities, as well as anyone with an interest in the supernatural. The ancient city of London is haunted by hundreds of ghosts, including famous historical figures such as Henry VIII, Walter Raleigh and Florence Nightingale, and a host of less well-known but equally fascinating characters. Poltergeists, screaming spectres, headless women and even phantom trains and buses fill the pages of this detailed guide to the spirits that stalk the streets of London. Find out about the ghosts that haunt the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, discover London's most haunted town house in Berkeley Square, and learn which ghosts to look out for in the pubs of the East End at night. It is a fascinating survey of the ghostly activity of Britain's largest City.

Memory Lane Leeds: Volume 1 (Paperback): "Yorkshire Evening Post" Memory Lane Leeds: Volume 1 (Paperback)
"Yorkshire Evening Post"
R474 Discovery Miles 4 740 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This title is a new paperback version for 2011. It is a unique collection of pictorial memories of Leeds from the archives of "The Yorkshire Evening Post". "Memory Lane Leeds" will become a treasured item to hand down to the next generation, who will themselves become a part of the history of a great city. There is no more faithful recorder of events which, year in year out, make up the daily life of a great city, than is the local daily newspaper. So there was no better place to begin the stroll down this "Memory Lane of Leeds" than in The Yorkshire Post Newspapers Library and the Photographic Department, from where most of our pictures were obtained. Others are credited in the text. We think they will jog older minds, intrigue those not so old, astonish and educate the younger end. Perhaps what has most surprised visitors to the city over the years is that Leeds is not packed, boundary to boundary, with dark, satanic mills and spoil heaps. Indeed, it has some fine buildings, a wealth of public parks and open spaces, is ahead of many provincial cities in the provision of outstanding centres of learning and finance and is exceptionally well-served by public transport. Leeds is a city that appeals to tourists, revellers, and of course when it comes to sports Leeds is a city to be reckoned with. The past three decades have seen Leeds grow in stature and importance as well as become a pleasant place to live, work and play.

Better in the Poconos - The Story of Pennsylvania's Vacationland (Paperback): Lawrence Squeri Better in the Poconos - The Story of Pennsylvania's Vacationland (Paperback)
Lawrence Squeri
R1,208 Discovery Miles 12 080 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

When Antoine Dutot opened the Kittatinny Hotel--the first tourist hotel in the Poconos--in 1829, little did he know that he was a pioneer in what would become one of the largest and most diverse tourist and recreation areas on the East Coast. Although his initial venture failed, the tourist industry of the Poconos has been a long-term success, evolving and adapting to change. Better in the Poconos tells the story of Pennsylvania's premier vacationland from its earliest days to the present.

The flourishing tourist and resort industry in the Poconos can be attributed, in part, to the area's splendid mountains, streams, and forests. But the timeless appeal of nature was matched, and even surpassed, by the resorts' ability to redefine themselves. In the mid-nineteenth century, William Cullen Bryant depicted the Pocono region as a hunter's delight, describing abundant game and sublime landscapes. The Victorian era, however, brought genteel carriage rides and croquet; later, specialized ethnic resorts catered to the minority populations of Philadelphia and New York; and in the 1940s and 1950s, the Poconos earned its reputation as a honeymoon paradise. This evolution continues today: the land of romance has given way to the ski resorts and water slides enjoyed by today's vacationing families.

Poconos resort owners and innkeepers have long recognized the cutthroat competition inherent in the vacation business. Early on, they realized that they were vying not only with each other but also with other resorts--first in the Catskills and on the New Jersey shore, and then in Florida, in the Caribbean, and even in Europe. Better in the Poconos illustrates the strategies by which resorts in northeastern Pennsylvania responded to these market forces. They were compelled to provide superior service and amenities as well as novel amusements and activities for their guests. In the latter half of the twentieth century, for example, "super-resorts" started to supplant the old hotels: the new resorts could offer year-round activities, thanks to the invention of artificial snow. Similarly, honeymoon hotels declined as couples resorts--retreats that boasted such innovations as the heart-shaped bathtub and the Jacuzzi in the shape of a tall champagne glass--emerged on the Poconos scene.

Better in the Poconos recreates that scene and the people who brought it to life--not only the innkeepers, souvenir sellers, laborers, and service workers, but also the community leaders and visionaries who promoted the vacation economy and sought to guide it. The proper Victorians, the devoted sportsmen, the young newlyweds, the families and singles, the staid ladies of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (and the sinners whose vices they wished to temper), the members of the Ku Klux Klan, the rich Quakers, the Jewish socialists, and the immigrants--all these, and more, make up the humanly rich mosaic of the Poconos.

Picture the Past Derby (Paperback): Denis Eardley Picture the Past Derby (Paperback)
Denis Eardley
R528 Discovery Miles 5 280 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This title features nearly 400 images showing in fine detail some of the changes that have taken place in Derby and the surrounding suburbs over a period of more than 150 years. The images have been arranged in the form of trails, which for the most part the reader can easily follow on foot to get the maximum benefit from the book. In medieval times, Derby grew in importance as a busy centre of trade, attracting people from other towns and outlying villages. Derby's first Market Charter was not particularly detailed, but the second, granted fifty years later, in 1204 by King John was much more precise. This Charter allowed a weekly market, held from Thursday to Friday evening and granted the Burgesses the right to levy tolls from the traders, as well as punish thieves. Later additions to the Charter gave the rights to hold fairs at Easter, Whitsun and Michaelmas. However, the most significant change in Derby's history, took place on the 30 May 1839, when the first railway train steamed into the town. The excited crowds watching the train's arrival little realised how this event would change the face of Derby. Initially, three railway companies operated from Derby, until in 1844 they amalgamated to form the Midland Railway. This hectic activity attracted swarms of workers from all over the country and in 1851 records showed that 43 per cent of the adults in the town had been born outside the county. Derby's reputation as an industrial town was boosted even further with the arrival of Rolls-Royce at the beginning of the 20th century. The latest development in the city - Derby having acquired city status in 1977 - has been the successful development of Pride Park, on land previously used by the railway industry. This collection of images illustrates the industries, the streets and markets and the people who lived in Derby and the former villages, which once surrounded the town. The old scenes will bring back vivid memories for some and introduce others to what life used to be like in bygone days.

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