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.

This priceless archive has been compiled by Raymond Andreson and built up by the "Evening Express" and its sister paper, "The Press and Journal". The lives of the folk of Aberdeen have been faithfully recorded in photographs since the end of the 19th century. It is a beautiful and fascinating collection of images that will captivate both locals and tourists alike. For more than a hundred years their photographers have been capturing the special character - and characters - of Aberdeen on glass slide and film. The momentous and the mundane. With the passage of time, even the most straightforward picture of a street scene takes on special significance. The immense amount of rebuilding in Aberdeen this century has seen hundreds of streets disappear, but the memories of the people who inhabited them remain today, ready to be rekindled by a photograph. Part of the magic of these captured moments is that in many cases they are the only records that remain - certainly no movie records exist. The tremendous pride Aberdonians have in their sturdy granite city is reflected in the continuing popularity of the historic flashback photographs carried weekly in the "Evening Express". So here, by popular request, are 350 images of the Silver City from the turn of the century. A time when Aberdeen underwent the most dramatic changes in its history.

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.

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.

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

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.

Before World War Two the city was in decline and only in the 1970s, with the advent of new technologies, did Dundee's regeneration begin. Against this background of profound change, the author gives a remarkable account of the rich daily life of Dundee. He recalls important events and individuals and offers keen insights into the processes of development and recovery. Modern Dundee will be evocative reading for anyone who knows the city and has lived there during the post-war years, and it will also serve as a valuable introduction to its immediate history.

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.

This is a new paperback version for 2011. It includes absorbing real life accounts of nearly every reported murder that took place in Tyneside during the twentieth century. It features well-known cases and those which are lesser known but equally fascinating tales of jealousy, revenge and tragedy. The city of Newcastle and its immediate environs of Jarrow, North and South Shields and the outlying towns, have seen some most intriguing murder cases. Perhaps the most famous of all is that of the murder of John Innes Nisbet by John Alexander Dickman, for which the latter was hanged in August 1910. Yet there are others in the pages of this book whose stories are equally fascinating. You will read of the two Millers, hanged 90 minutes apart on the same day for what was a senseless crime. Or consider Thomas Craig, a man determined to avenge himself on the woman who had spurned him; of William Ambrose Collins who brutally murdered a WAAF during the war years. Capital punishment is a very emotive subject and this book is not intended to argue the case either for, or against. The facts are told and it is up to the reader to decide for themselves whether the hanging of these killers served any purpose beyond judicial revenge.

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.

These lively and entertaining folk tales from one of Britain's most ancient counties are vividly retold by local storyteller Mike O'Leary. Their origins lost in the oral tradition, these stories from Sussex reflect the wisdom (and eccentricities) of the county and its people. Sussex has a rich and diverse collection of tales, from dragons lurking in bottomless pits and screaming demons hiding under hills to legends of witches, wise women and ghosts. These stories, illustrated with twenty-five line drawings, bring alive the landscape of the county's rolling hills and dramatic coast. Mike O'Leary is a professional storyteller who has been travelling the country retelling traditional folk tales for almost twenty years.

The Crowley Millers were the talk of minor league baseball in the 1950s, with crowds totaling nearly 10 times Crowley's population and earning Crowley the nickname of "The Best Little Baseball Town in the World." The Best Little Baseball Town in the World: The Crowley Millers and Minor League Baseball in the 1950s tells the fun, quirky story of Crowley, Louisiana, in the fifties, a story that reads more like fiction than nonfiction. The Crowley Millers' biggest star was Conklyn Meriwether, a slugger who became infamous after he retired when he killed his in-laws with an axe. Their former manager turned out to be a con man, dying in jail while awaiting trial on embezzlement charges. The 1951 team was torn to pieces after their young centerfielder was struck and killed by lightning during a game. But aside from the tragedy and turmoil, the Crowley Millers also played some great baseball and were the springboard to stardom for George Brunet and Dan Pfister, two Crowley pitchers who made it to the majors. Interviews with players from the team bring to light never-before-heard stories and inside perspectives on minor league baseball in the fifties, including insight into the social and racial climate of the era, and the inability of baseball in the fifties to help players deal with off-the-field problems. Written by respected minor-league baseball historian Gaylon H. White, The Best Little Baseball Town in the World is a fascinating tale for baseball fans and historians alike.

This is a book about Glasgow, but not your everyday history book. Glasgow By the Way But is a contemporary series of essays examining different aspects of Glasgow in a historical and cultural context, revealing a unique, amusing and sometimes critical, perspective of Cairney's beloved city. Those who remember John Cairney's performances and have read his other books will enjoy the insightful anecdotes from Cairney's career.

A personal account of life in the orbit of Mao and Zhao En-Lai and one woman's effort to tell what it was like to be at the center of the storm. The history of China in the twentieth century is comprised of a long series of shocks: the 1911 revolution, the civil war between the communists and the nationalists, the Japanese invasion, the revolution, the various catastrophic campaigns initiated by Chairman Mao between 1949 and 1976, its great opening to the world under Deng, and the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Yuan-tsung Chen, who is now 90, lived through most of it, and at certain points in close proximity to the seat of communist power. Born in Shanghai in 1929, she came to know Zhou En-Lai-second only to Mao in importance-as a young girl while living in Chongqing, where Chiang Kai-Shek's government had relocated to, during the war against Japan. That connection to Zhou helped her save her husband's life in Cultural Revolution. After the communists took power, she obtained a job in one of the culture ministries. While there, she frequently engaged with the upper echelon of the party and was a first-hand witness to some of the purges that the regime regularly initiated. Eventually, the commissar she worked under was denounced in 1957, and she barely escaped being purged herself. Later, during Cultural Revolution, she and her husband were purged and sent to live in a rough, poor area. She and her husband finally moved to Hong Kong, with Zhou's special permission, in 1971. A first-hand account of what life was like in the period before the revolution and in Mao's China, The Secret Listener gives a unique perspective on the era, and Chen's vantage point provides us with a new perspective on the Maoist regime-one of the most radical political experiments in modern history and a force that genuinely changed the world.

This is the story of a village in East Anglia, astride its common stream, a saga of continuity and change which stretches back across a landscape of two thousand years. It took Rowland Parker thirteen years of detective work to piece this jigsaw together, combing his way through records of archaeological excavations and manor court rolls, and collecting stories at the pub alongside his scholarly inspection of old wills and land tax returns. The intense focus he brought to his work was amplified by his desire to tell the story of the common man, his feuds and fun, his farms, fights, fornications and families.

On the banks of the Rio Grande, in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, and in the geographical center of the state of New Mexico lies the city of Albuquerque. Over 200 vintage black and white and hand-tinted postcards from the 1900s to the 1960s take readers on a fantastic journey back in time, to tour Albuquerque and beyond. Many interesting and famous spots are showcased. See the AT & SF Railroad Depot and the Alvarado Hotel in all their former glory. Browse through the selection of handmade Native American arts and crafts sold in Wright's Trading Post or by vendors in Old Town Plaza. Take in a show at the KiMo Theater, stroll among the historic buildings and shops of Old Town, or stop for a tour of the University of New Mexico's campus. Travel outside Albuquerque for a trip up the Sandia Mountains and a tour through Sandia Pueblo.

The New Covent Garden Flower Market plays an integral part in Simon Lycett's life as a florist and has done for the last 25 years. Originally opened in London's Covent Garden in 1670, the Market moved to Nine Elms in Vauxhall in November 1974 and became known as the New Covent Garden Flower Market. Now after more than 40 years it is moving again, to a new purpose-built site in Nine Elms. In The Flower Market Year, Simon Lycett's witty and down to earth observations and Michelle Garrett's stunning photographs, taken over the course of a year of very early mornings in Nine Elms, combine to create a unique record of this historic and idiosyncratic market. Includes images of many beautiful arrangements of seasonal flowers and foliage sourced from the Market.

Chronicling the traditions of Chinese life and culture, The Art of Chinese Living is a visual cornucopia and an epic cultural immersion into everything from cuisine and history to art and rituals, calligraphy and music to artefacts and interiors, and from widespread national traditions to the minutiae of daily family life. Spanning over 1,100 stunning pages and divided into the four seasons, this lavish four-volume set in a cloth-bound slipcase is alive with culture. The passion and research that have gone into producing this masterpiece are palpable on every page, from the 10,000 commissioned photographs and illustrations to the incredible gatefold pages and painstaking detail. It is a love letter to Chinese culture written by a mother keen to share her passion for incredible traditions both big and small with her own children, and those of families around the world - whether looking to rekindle a connection with their own traditions or eager to learn more about China, its history and culture. From recipes and home-made gift ideas to an epic timeline of Chinese dynasties and cultural artefacts, The Art of Chinese Living is a joy to behold and a treasure to share. In the words of the author, 'This volume of books is a gift to all the Chinese people, as well as all who have a love for Chinese culture. My objective was to enable everyone to access Chinese culture in their everyday lives, rather than something that could only be appreciated in museums or history books.'

Newport, Rhode Island, nicknamed "the Queen of Resorts," has been celebrated in beautiful postcard portrayals for over a hundred years. Today, these vintage cards illuminate the glories of the Gilded Age, when huge mansions or "cottages" built by competing industrialists blossomed along Bellevue Avenue and the Cliff Walk, turning a once-quiet New England watering hole into the apex of nouveau riche destinations. This updated and expanded second edition features over 200 period images of the mansions, the beautiful beaches, and the shopping areas where the Newport Summer Colony gathered to do what they did best: spend money. See how Newport was forever changed by the prolific growth of "cottages" during the late nineteenth century. Today, many of these testaments to power and wealth are house museums, where thousands visit annually to see firsthand how the rich and famous lived. Includes a guide to postcard values and collector tips.

Edwardian fashions for women were characterized by the S-shaped silhouette, embellished with lace, tucks, ruffles, tassels, frills and flounces. This essential book includes eleven detailed projects, which form a capsule collection of clothing and accessories that might have been worn by an Edwardian governess, a woman travelling on an ocean liner, a campaigning suffragette, or a wife overseeing a busy household in a large country house. It explains making sequences in full and advises in detail on how to give the garments a fine, authentic finish. Eleven detailed projects based on the dress collections at Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove, and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery. Each project includes a detailed description of the original garment, with an accompanying illustration alongside photographs of the original pieces. Scaled patterns are included for all projects with a list of materials and equipment required. Step-by-step instructions are given with information about the original techniques used and close-up photographs of the making process. There are chapters on tools and equipment, fabrics, measurements and sizes, and how to wear Edwardian fashion with ideas on creating new outfits from the featured projects. Finally, there is advice on how to adapt garments to make them suitable for both wealthy, leisured women, and for their poorer counterparts.

This compact book reproduces fifty-two memorials in Latin taken from churches situated largely in the West Country. Each memorial is accompanied by a translation and by notes on the grammar. The book is aimed at all who would like to be able to read Latin epitaphs in churches, and whose knowledge of the language may be sketchy. The introduction explains the conventions involved in lettering, abbreviations, Latinized personal names, and stock phrases. It is followed by a very brief Latin grammar and notes on Roman numerals and dates. At the back of the book there is a word list containing all those words found in the inscriptions with numbered references, plus a selection of words which are commonly found in inscriptions generally, though not in those printed here. By combining these resources in one book, the author equips the reader with the tools to tackle other epitaphs beyond the pages of this book and further afield. Every attempt is made to help the reader understand the context in which each inscription was composed. For instance it is stressed that the composers of such epitaphs were skilled Latin scholars, and that there are very few errors to be seen. Errors attributable to the stonemasons or sign-writers are noted and corrected.

'After Mark Cocker's glorious book, you will never look at a blackberry bush the same way again.' Philip Hoare, New Statesman In 2001 Mark Cocker moved to Claxton, a small village in Norfolk. In a series of daily writings spanning the course of a year he explores his relationship to the landscape he lives in, to nature and to all the living things around him - the birds, plants, trees, mammals, hoverflies, moths, butterflies, bush crickets, grasshoppers, ants and bumblebees. Passionate, astonishing and inspiring, this book is a celebration of the wonder that lies in our everyday experience. Shortlisted for the Royal Society of Biology Book Award, the Jarrold East Anglian Book Awards, the New Angle Prize and theThwaites Wainwright Prize

Stories from bravery at sea, to the innocent casualties of war, to the repressed victims of their religious beliefs all feature in a book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the area's heritage. "Heroes, Villains, and Victims" is a collection of stories about ordinary people of Hull and the East Riding who found themselves in extraordinary situations. For the most part they are people that history has forgotten, but each, in their own way, contributed to the colourful past of the Humber region. Some were bad, true villains who killed or harmed their fellows and paid the ultimate price, while others were benefactors who left their mark on society, and many were innocent victims who remind us that the 'good old days' were not always so. You can read how a pioneering local plumber successfully opposed three eminent engineers to provide a clean and fresh water supply to Hull, eliminating deadly cholera from the streets. You can find out how a 'cowboy from Yorkshire' helped to change the American Wild West forever, and discover how a farmer's wife's desire to gain a souvenir earned her an MBE and praise from Sir Winston Churchill. The author has trawled newspaper archives and other public documents to uncover the details of the extraordinary lives that are recalled in these pages. The result is a well-researched yet entertaining look at the people of the past.

If you love history and want to amaze your family and colleagues with your prodigious knowledge of Lone Star lore, this book is just what you need.
"A Browser's Book of History" is a day-by-day collection of more than 500 incidents some famous, some obscure that have made Texas the most remarkable state in the Union. Even if you're a dedicated historian or an old-time Texan, you're likely to find something surprising, amusing, thought provoking, or just plain odd.
With this book you can start every day of the year with a concise entry from the chronicles of this unique state, which just seems to naturally breed colorful people and bigger-than-life events.

New England has a long, rich history that can be experienced by visiting the abandoned villages, monuments, and cemeteries that cover the region. Here are 36 locations including a recent ghost town found in Connecticut, an eloquent 9-11 memorial in New Hampshire, a cemetery in Vermont that is more like an outdoor art gallery, the grave of an accused vampire in Rhode Island, an Island in Maine, whose residents were forced out by the state, and the New England Holocaust Memorial in Massachusetts. This handy pictorial guide includes visitor information, detailed directions, 180 color photographs, and the history associated with the towns, monuments, and cemeteries scattered across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont.