The attack on London between 1939 and 1945 is one of the most significant events in the city's modern history, the impact of which can still be seen in its urban and social landscapes. As a key record of the attack, the London County Council Bomb Damage Maps represent destruction on a huge scale, recording buildings and streets reduced to smoke and rubble. The full set of maps is made up of 110 hand-coloured 1:2500 Ordnance Survey base sheets originally published in 1916 but updated by the LCC to 1940. Because they use the 1916 map, they give us a glimpse of a 'lost London', before post-war redevelopment schemes began to shape the modern city. The colouring applied to the maps records a scale of damage to London's built environment during the war - the most detailed and complete survey of destruction caused by the aerial bombardment. A clear and fascinating introduction by expert Laurence Ward sets the maps in the full historical context of the events that gave rise to them, supported by archival photographs and tables of often grim statistics.

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.

"Exploring History In and Around Derbyshire" vividly brings to life aspects of bygone times from misty Celtic twilight to more modern times. In this fascinating study of Derbyshire history you'll find tales about saints and sinners, hermits and heroes, faith, folly, fonts, crinkle-crankle walls, 'secret' forests and much more! It is a fantastic read with many captivating and enjoyable stories to share! History is all around us. The past haunts the present, shaping our customs, architecture, landscape and community life. In a series of informative, well-illustrated chapters, this book vividly brings to life aspects of bygone times from misty Celtic twilight to more modern times. Many of the topics covered are expanded from features contributed to BBC Radio Derby or from articles that have appeared in "Derby Evening Telegraph's" "Yesterday Today" supplement, "Derbyshire Life" and other publications. Together with brand new items, they add up to a collection with widespread appeal. You can meet mediaeval England's architect-in-chief, a man whose real life rags-to-riches story rivals that of his contemporary Dick Whittington. You can find out how Derbyshire's farmers led a rural revolution. You can tread the packhorse trail. You can hear strange reports of tree climbing rabbits and of pigs decked out in ribbons and bows. You can discover the achievements of a Derbyshire man with a claim to being Britain's finest sculptor. Saints and sinners, hermits and heroes, faith, folly, fonts, crinkle-crankle walls, 'secret' forests, sundials, postboxes, and the humble country stile all feature in this wide-ranging exploration of the character and landscape of Derbyshire and its immediate surrounds. This is serious history with the lightest of touches that will be enjoyed by anyone who takes more than a passing interest in local history.

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" 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.

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.

In "Days of London Past" the imaginative though mainly factual stories that unfold on a particular day in a selected century, bring that past vividly to life. London and it's rich history has always had the power to fascinate and absorb. By using some of the famous individuals who have enriched London's existence at various stages of their lives, the effect is one of being transported as if in a time machine. If you have not before been familiar with characters such as Pepys, Johnson and Caxton, the stories in this book will ensure that you will become more intimately acquainted with the personalities behind the names. The stories are so richly detailed with the knowledge we have of those times, that London itself becomes more real through the centuries. The result is a thoroughly absorbing mini celebration of some of London is most famous characters and the London town they inhabited.

'A wonderful memoir, written with great linguistic brio. Candid, shrewd and moving - a classic of its kind,' William Boyd Howard Jacobson's funny, revealing and tender memoir of his path to becoming a writer. It's my theory that only the unhappy, the uncomfortable, the gauche, the badly put together, aspire to make art. Why would you seek to reshape the world unless you were ill-at-ease in it? And I came out of the womb in every sense the wrong way round. In Mother's Boy, Booker-Prize winner Howard Jacobson reveals how he became a writer. It is an exploration of belonging and not-belonging, of being an insider and outsider, both English and Jewish. Born to a working-class family in 1940s Manchester, the great-grandson of Lithuanian and Russian immigrants, Jacobson was raised by his mother, grandmother and aunt Joyce. His father was a regimental tailor, as well as an upholsterer, a market-stall holder, a taxi driver, a balloonist, and a magician. Grappling always with his family's history and his Jewish identity, Jacobson takes us from the growing pains of childhood to studying at Cambridge under F.R. Leavis, and landing in Sydney as a maverick young professor on campus, through to his first marriage, the birth of his son and beyond. Full of Jacobson's trademark humour and infused with bittersweet memories of his parents, this is the story of a writer's beginnings. 'Laugh-out-loud glorious and uproarious of course - but don't let the self-ribbing fool you; this is deep and poignant,' Simon Schama

"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.

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.

Seattle Then and Now presents archival photos along with modern views of the same sites as they appear today, highlighting some of the best-loved places in the city along with striking examples of modern architecture that help make Seattle such a vibrant and innovative city. Seattle's growth from a small lumber town to one of the world's most influential urban centers has been spectacular. Little more than a century ago, the city was made up of dirt roads and timber buildings. The arrival of the Great Northern Railroad in 1893 and the start of the Klondike gold rush in 1897 changed all that. Businesses in Seattle are still booming today, but they are now less dependent on location and more on inspiration. Seattle Then and Now presents archival photos along with modern views of the same sites as they appear today, highlighting some of the best-loved places in the city along with striking examples of modern architecture that help make Seattle such a vibrant and innovative city.

In Portland's harbor, environmental justice groups challenge the EPA for a more thorough cleanup of the Willamette River. Near Olympia, the Puyallup assert their tribal sovereignty and treaty rights to fish. Seattle housing activists demand that Amazon pay to address the affordability crisis it helped create. Urban Cascadia, the infrastructure, social networks, built environments, and non-human animals and plants that are interconnected in the increasingly urbanized bioregion that surrounds Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, enjoys a reputation for progressive ambitions and forward-thinking green urbanism. Yet legacies of settler colonialism and environmental inequalities contradict these ambitions, even as people strive to achieve those progressive ideals. In this edited volume, historians, geographers, urbanists, and other scholars critically examine these contradictions to better understand the capitalist urbanization of nature, the creation of social and environmental inequalities, and the movements to fight for social and environmental justice. Neither a story of green disillusion nor one of green boosterism, Urban Cascadia and the Pursuit of Environmental Justice reveals how the region can address broader issues of environmental justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and the politics of environmental change.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Pittsburgh was built on steel-and almost destroyed by it. Pittsburgh's vertically integrated steel industry was foundational in the growth of America, and it returned economic prosperity to the region for over a century. But when a myriad of domestic and global factors unsettled the local industry's competitiveness, the city suffered through economic turmoil. The city of Pittsburgh found unlikely heroes in their traditionally also-ran professional football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reflecting the city's tough, hard-nosed, working class citizens, the Steelers rose to prominence and galvanized the community to persevere against the challenges of its deindustrialization transformation. Built of steel, then crippled by steel, Pittsburgh was eventually saved by the Steelers. Immaculate: How the Steelers Saved Pittsburgh weaves together the historical stories of Pittsburgh and its beloved professional football team like the linear strands of DNA-antiparallel, twisting throughout, and irrevocably connected together. Beginning with the history of the region, Immaculate weaves together the area's early history with the Steelers' origins, tracing the rise of the Steelers against the contextual backdrop of the steel industry's collapse and the city's unfolding crisis. The Steelers provided the foundational inflection point for Pittsburgh's "New Economy" to emerge and prosper. Immaculate brings to life the colorful stories and people that shaped a city and a team over the rich tapestry of profoundly different eras.

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.