Great Britain has for many centuries been one of the world's great sea-faring nations. The Royal Navy has defended her territory and the merchant fleet has been instrumental in creating the nation's wealth. The courage, industry and exploits of many of her sailors and the names of the ships in which they served have become legendary. However, the sea has also provided the backdrop to great crimes and for Murder on the High Seas, the author has selected murders that have been committed in many parts of the globe on board different types of vessels, over a period of more than one hundred years. The motives behind these crimes have included revenge, lust, greed and survival. Nevertheless, they share one common feature as all of those accused of responsibility were brought back to Great Britain to stand trial. Among these fascinating accounts is a description of the trial of the survivors of a shipwreck who killed and fed on a shipmate. Also included is the murder by slavers of several Royal Navy seamen who were part of the West Africa Squadron, formed to put an end to the slave trade of the South Atlantic.

This chilling collection of murderous tales brings together a diverse range of cases spanning three centuries and all of which were committed in Scotland. Featuring 52 cases that shocked the country, the early chapters describe crimes which occurred against the turbulent political backdrop of the 18th century, including the infamous lynching of Captain John Porteous in Edinburgh in 1736 and the assassination of Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure in the spring of 1752. Also included is the case of an Edinburgh baby farmer hanged in 1889; the brutal murder of a wealthy spinster in Glasgow in 1908; the shooting of a Detective Inspector during a failed attempt to rescue a convict from a prison van in Glasgow in 1921; and the summary execution of a German POW at the hands of his fellow Nazi prisoners in Comrie, Perthshire in 1944. This well-illustrated and enthralling book will appeal to everyone interested in true crime and the shadier side of Scotland's past.

Drawing on a wide selection of sources and illustrated with more than sixty photographs, this collection of grisly tales explores the darker side of the Lake District's past. It features the tale of the 'Keswick Imposter', who seduced and bigamously married a young lady of Buttermere before being hanged at Castile for fraud, a story which was the inspiration for Melvyn Bragg's The Maid of Buttermere. Also included is the account of an eighteenth-century gang who repeatedly tried to kidnap a wealthy (but alcoholic) landowner and marry him to a prostitute in order to lay their hands on his fortune. With murders, hangings, kidnap and violence, Murder & Crime in the Lake District is sure to captivate and horrify anyone interested in the criminal history of the area.

Derbyshire Murders brings together fifteen of the county's most extraordinary and shocking cases. The crimes covered made not just local but in some cases national headlines. For this fascinating, illustrated collection, Martin Baggoley has returned to original sources - including police interviews, trial transcripts and contemporary newspaper reports - to rebuild each story from scratch. Cases include a murder and robbery committed in 1842 in Stanley, and the murder of a police constable in Derby in 1879. Although the killer was sentenced to death, he was reprieved after it was revealed how the jury had reached their decision: they drew lots and tossed a coin. Also included are cases from Belper, Chesterfield, Bonsall, Glossop and Ilkeston. This unique re-examination of the darker side of Derbyshire's past is sure to appeal to all those interested in the shady side of the county's history.

True crime writer Martin Baggoley has selected a fascinating collection of tales of murder and manslaughter from across Lancashire spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The crimes are as diverse as the locations in which they were committed, and include mass murder and suicide in Salford, infanticide in Manchester, robbery and murder in Oldham, a vicious assault over a wager in Liverpool, rape and murder in Darwen and Bolton and a sweetheart shot to death in Southport. The perpetrators faced public execution outside the walls of Lancashire Castle or hanging within the walls of the gaols of Manchester and Liverpool; others faced imprisonment, and some were never caught. Contemporary illustrations complement the text to provide a shocking and compelling account of the Red Rose county's dark side.

This book is part of the Images of England series, which uses old photographs and archived images to show the history of various local areas in England, through their streets, shops, pubs, and people.

Until the 18th century, Eccles had been a small rural village. However, following the construction of the Bridgewater Canal, and later the Manchester to Liverpool Railway, Eccles grew to be an important industrial centre with the building of silk and cotton mills, and the emergence of engineering. Martin Baggoley has selected photographs which illustrate the industrial development of his home town, and of course its famous cake makers are not forgotten. This collection of over 200 black and white photographs includes images of people, transport and buildings which should be of great interest to residents and newcomers alike.