With its strategic shipping ports and factories, the towns and cities dotted along the River Mersey soon became some of Hitler's most heavily targeted sites during the Second World War. In August 1940 the German Luftwaffe attacked Birkenhead in what was to be the first of over 300 such bombing raids Merseyside sustained that year. Almost 4,000 people perished and many more were seriously injured as the streets and buildings of Liverpool and Wirral were destroyed and their residents left in turmoil. Featuring 45 vistas of bomb-damaged suburbia and city centre carnage alongside 45 photographs of the area as it is today, Merseyside War Years: Then & Now sensitively documents the changes and developments that have taken place in Merseyside since those dark days of war, demonstrating both architectural progress and Britain's resilience and in the face of adversity.

Rather than focusing on crimes, this title looks at accidents, incidents and disasters from the Victorian era to the early twentieth century. From the sad to the spectacular, from overdoses to crashes and featuring the story behind the incredible unintentional firework display, it brings together a ranging collection of stories.

The city of Liverpool is famous throughout the world. This once small fishing village was transformed into a mighty commercial powerhouse, seen by many as the second city of the British Empire. Over the centuries her influence grew and her population soared. Town planners were forced to draw up designs to accommodate the town's increasingly diverse demographic. Humble terraced properties were laid out for the thousands of labourers in the region's core shipping industry, while luxurious town houses were constructed for the region's wealthier elite. Vast brick-built warehouses were raised for the storage of goods and imports, while merchants from far and wide took up shop on many of the city's bustling high streets. Hotels, taverns and theatres appeared on nearly every corner to impress the weary traveller, and an array of parks, monuments and public buildings adorned the urban landscape for as far as the eye could see. Sadly the twentieth century cast a grave shadow over Liverpool's good fortunes and the city lost its old allure and prestige. The Second World War cost the city dear, and many of the most awe-inspiring buildings were lost in the carnage or demolished in the name of progress. This book steps back in time and rediscovers Liverpool's lost buildings and remembers the forgotten architectural heritage that once embellished this impressive maritime metropolis.

The appeal of the Beatles is everlasting. Millions of fans from all over the world continue to revel in the band's eternal hits and their music stands out as one of Britain's greatest cultural successes. This book takes the reader on a journey to the Fab Four's home town of Liverpool and explores the significant sites and locations associated with the band's unparalleled rise to stardom. We delve into the archives and uncover nostalgic images of Mathew Street, Strawberry Field and Penny Lane, as well as many other familiar landmarks and witness the changes that have taken place in the city through time. This book will appeal to any true Beatles fan who wishes to discover that little bit extra about the world's most famous boy band.

'Criminal Wirral' is an intriguing and entertaining collection of some of the strangest, most despicable and comical crimes that took place on the Wirral peninsula from the Victorian era up until the early twentieth century. Daniel K. Longman's painstaking research has uncovered many fascinating cases that have been long forgotten, and he sheds new light on local causes celebres. The tales are supported by a number of maps with many contemporary and modern photographs, which help to bring these events and the people featured in them to life. Criminal Wirral will appeal to anyone who has an interest in the darker side of Wirral's history.

This fascinating new volume is a follow-up to Daniel K. Longman's first book Criminal Wirral; an intriguing and entertaining collection of some of the strangest, most despicable and comical crimes that took place on the Wirral peninsula throughout the Victorian era and the early twentieth century. The tales featured here uncover many fascinating cases that have been long forgotten, and are supported by illustrations which help to bring these events and the people featured in them to life. Read on and uncover the grisly facts of what once lay floating in Birkenhead Park pond, a gruesome suicide on board a Woodside-bound locomotive and the farcical actions of a drunken butler one night at the stately Thurstaston Hall Criminal Wirral II will appeal to anyone who has an interest in the darker side of Wirral's history.

Criminal Liverpool is an entertaining and informative round-up of some of the strangest, most bloodthirsty, despicable and comical crimes that took place in and around Liverpool from the Victorian era up to the early twentieth century. Daniel K. Longman's scrupulous research has uncovered many enthralling cases that have been long forgotten, and sheds new light on a variety of sinister incidents. The cases featured include the tragic tales of Frances Wallace, whose mummified remains were found decomposing in the water closet of her Hope Place home, and the horrific crimes of the Tuebrook baby-killer, Elizabeth Kirkbride. The stories are supported by seventy-five fascinating illustrations and will appeal to anyone who has an interest in the more sinister side of the city's history.