With a new introduction by the author

Published to mark the 25th anniversary of Terry Waite's release from captivity in November 1991

Some people long to find it, others long to escape it. But, whether we welcome or dread it, solitude is something we all experience in different forms at different points in our lives After enduring nearly five years of solitary confinement, in cruel and terrifying conditions, Terry Waite discovered that he was drawn to find out more about the power of solitude in the lives of other people. The result is this haunting book, in which he recalls his encounters with people who have experienced some very different ways of being solitary: among them the peaceful solitude of remote and beautiful places; the unsought and often unnoticed solitude of lonely people living in the midst of busy cities; the deceptive solitude of those living in the twilight world of espionage; the enforced solitude of the convict and the prisoner of war; and, finally, the inescapable solitude of those who are drawing near to death. Through all these encounters, and through the memories and reflections they trigger in the author's mind, we see how solitude shapes the human soul - and how it can be a force for good in our own lives, if we can only learn to use it well.

Meet Tommy Twitchnose, who lives with his wife and two children in a cosy little house under the floorboards in a converted barnhouse. Tommy and his family have a happy life, foraging for scraps of food and doing up their home with bits and pieces dropped by the humans who live above them. But then, one day, their peaceful life is rudely interrupted. A large family of town mice suddenly appears on their doorstep, led by a daring and determined mouse called Danny, who announces that they're moving in... The adventures that follow will charm, amuse and amaze all who read them - children and grown-ups alike! Contents 1. The surprise visitors Tommy Twitchnose and his family receive an unwelcome surprise when some unexpected visitors arrrive, led by the daring Danny Dockmouse (Tommy's long-forgotten cousin), who has led his large family all the way from London to seek a better life in the country. 2. A happy Harvest Festival Tommy and his family join the church mice, who live nearby, to celebrate the Harvest Festival. The joyful service is conducted by a mouse by the name of the Reverend Albert Pew, who leads them in singing some funny animal versions of well-known harvest songs, and tells them about his new plan to make sure the church mice (who are very poor) will have enough food to last them another year. 3. Fun and games at a party All the mice are invited to the annual garden party held in the grounds of the stately home of Lord Whiskers of Whiskerton. They travel there on the Moles' Underground Express and when they arrive are amazed by a series of daring circus acts performed by a group of acrobatic frogs, two squirrels and the brave contestants in the annual Grand International Vole Swimming Race. 4. A visit to the Houses of Parliament Lord Whiskers is an honourable member of the House of Mice, which has its premises under the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. He invites his new friends Tommy and Danny to join him on one of his visits, but trouble follows when Danny decides to explore the House upstairs and ends up trapped in a Big Red Box used by the Prime Minister. 5. The Small Animal Rescue Service The Reverend Albert Pew asks Tommy to take charge of a new venture called the Small Animal Rescue Service, which is designed to transport sick animals quickly to the Small Animal Hospital. It is the day of the parish picnic at the seaside, and Tommy flies there on the back of a friendly seagull; but before they get there they notice an animal in distress on the rocks below, and swoop down to the rescue. 6. The very naughty squirrel Tommy's wife, Tiggy, helps to run the new village shop, but is alarmed when she discovers that someone is helping themselves to things without paying. PC Charles Catchem takes charge of the operation to find out who's behind crime, and with the help of Barney the Barn Owl he devises a clever trap to catch the thief red-handed.

Includes previously unpublished interviews with figures such as the double agent George Blake, the 'Moors murderer' Myra Hindley and Svetlana Alliluyeva, the daughter of Joseph Stalin

Challenges the tired orthodoxy that the Church of England had a bad First World War. In telling the story of the Church and its people in Colchester, a garrison town, Robert Beaken enlivens our understanding of the First World War - not only as a clash of mighty forces, but also at a personal and communal level.'The Very Rev. Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster The Church of England is popularly believed to have had a bad First World War. This book challenges that tired orthodoxy. It examines the relationship between parish churches and the Army during the war, using the important garrison town of Colchester as a case study. Colchester in 1914-18 was a microcosm both of English society and of the Church of England, in all their diversity. The presence of the Army also meant that wartime experiences and trends which were noticeable elsewhere in England were sharply felt in Colchester. For the generation of Britons who lived through the Great War, Christianity was an important part of their culture, world view and, in many instances, personal lives. To understand life on the home front during the war, it is vital to understand the part played by Christianity, and particularly by the parishes of the Church of England. With the help of newly discovered archival material, this book reassesses the relations between clergy, soldiers and civilians to show that, contrary to widely-held belief, the clergy and their parishioners responded to the crisis of 1914-18 with courage, common sense and self-sacrifice: their ministry kept much of the population going during the Great War. ROBERT BEAKEN is parish priest of St Mary the Virgin, Great Bardfield,and St Katharine, Little Bardfield, in Essex. He holds a PhD from King's College, London, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of seven works, including Cosmo Lang: Archbishop in War and Crisis(2012).

A pianist, arranger, and composer, William Pursell is a mainstay of the Nashville music scene. He has played jazz in Nashville's Printer's Alley with Chet Atkins and Harold Bradley, recorded with Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline, performed with the Nashville Symphony, and composed and arranged popular and classical music. Pursell's career, winding like a crooked river between classical and popular genres, encompasses a striking diversity of musical experiences. A series of key choices sent him down different paths, whether it was reenrolling with the Air Force for a second tour of duty, leaving the prestigious Eastman School of Music to tour with an R&B band, or refusing to sign with the Beatles' agent Sid Bernstein. The story of his life as a working musician is unlike any other-he is not a country musician nor a popular musician nor a classical musician but, instead, an artist who refused to be limited by traditional categories. Crooked River City is driven by a series of recollections and personal anecdotes Terry Wait Klefstad assembled over a three-year period of interviews with Pursell. His story is one not only of talent, but of dedication and hard work, and of the ins and outs of a working musician in America. This biography fills a crucial gap in Nashville music history for both scholars and music fans.

Wendy Crompton's son William and his girlfriend Fiona were killed in an horrendous attack by another young man when William was just 18 years old. Wendy's experiences of what followed are set out in this book which tells how, as a secondary victim of crime, she was treated in ways that ranged from unthinking insensitivity to downright prejudice and lack of respect. This and being kept out of 'the loop' left her anxious, stressed, mistrusting and suspicious of people. This extended to the actions of certain police officers, paramedics and doctors, her 'supporter' from Victim Support (who took too much for granted and at one point went off to watch 'a more interesting case' in the court next door), the coroner's officer who prevented her husband from kissing William goodbye, the detective who implied that her son was better off dead rather than alive and the funeral director who told her 'You can't afford flowers'. The plight of Wendy Crompton and other secondary victims who have suffered comparable torment was the subject of a feature in the Daily Mirror on 4 December 2006 and Justice For William was eagerly awaited by a media critical of Government withdrawal of financial support for 'lifeline' conferences between people affected by some of the worst crimes in Britain, the critical importance of which is emphasised in the book. Justice For William is a hard-hitting, challenging and at times raw account: a cautionary tale enhanced by new author Helen P Simpson's vivid writing. Helen met Wendy through Helen's work with the Reducing Burglary Initiative in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire after her curiosity was aroused by the words 'NO CONTACT' on Wendy's case file. The story of their friendship is an object lesson for anyone coming into contact with secondary victims of homicide and other serious offences - as are the more enlightening illustrations of decent people who lent Wendy support. 'Looks unflinchingly at a system that is at best thoughtless and at worst downright disrespectful. It's essential reading for victims of crime and those who work with them': Carol Anne Davis 'I confess that I did not find the book comfortable reading and almost put it to one side after the first couple of chapters. I'm glad that I continued with it as it taught me to be even more understanding in relating to those who suffer. Both Wendy and Helen have made a valuable contribution to my understanding of the problems faced by the victims of crime and those who work with them. They are living proof of what I said earlier in the Foreword]. Suffering need not destroy. Their book is a testimony to that fact': Terry Waite CBE 'I would recommend it to Government Ministers, Members of Parliament, Consultant Psychiatrists, Criminologists, Senior Police Officers, Prison Governors, Coroners, members of the legal profession, Crown Prosecution Service, Senior Judiciary, Magistracy, the Sentencing Advisory Council and Human Rights protagonists': Michael Hughes, Internet Law Book Reviews, February 2007 Helen P Simpson is a community safety officer with Kirklees Safer Communities (a partnership between Kirklees Metropolitan Council, West Yorkshire Police Service, the National Probation Service, Victim Support and others) and is involved in the development and implementation of crime reduction strategies to lessen crime, disorder and the fear of crime. She first met Wendy Crompton, shortly after starting work with the Reducing Burglary Initiative (part of Victim Support) based at Huddersfield Police Station. They soon became firm friends and co-campaigners for better treatment of victims of homicide and serious crime.

A pianist, arranger, and composer, William Pursell is a mainstay of the Nashville music scene. He has played jazz in Nashville's Printer's Alley with Chet Atkins and Harold Bradley, recorded with Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline, performed with the Nashville Symphony, and composed and arranged popular and classical music. Pursell's career, winding like a crooked river between classical and popular genres, encompasses a striking diversity of musical experiences. A series of key choices sent him down different paths, whether it was reenrolling with the Air Force for a second tour of duty, leaving the prestigious Eastman School of Music to tour with an R&B band, or refusing to sign with the Beatles' agent Sid Bernstein. The story of his life as a working musician is unlike any other-he is not a country musician nor a popular musician nor a classical musician but, instead, an artist who refused to be limited by traditional categories. Crooked River City is driven by a series of recollections and personal anecdotes Terry Wait Klefstad assembled over a three-year period of interviews with Pursell. His story is one not only of talent, but of dedication and hard work, and of the ins and outs of a working musician in America. This biography fills a crucial gap in Nashville music history for both scholars and music fans.

Nothing prepares a man for war and Private Charles Waite, of the Queen's Royal Regiment, was ill-prepared when his convoy took a wrong turning near Abbeville and met 400 German soldiers and half a dozen tanks. 'The day I was captured, I had a rifle but no ammunition.' He lost his freedom that day in May 1940 and didn't regain it until April 1945 when he was rescued by Americans near Berlin, having walked 1,600 kms from East Prussia. Silent for seventy years, Charles writes about his five lost years: the terrible things he saw and suffered; his forced work in a stone quarry and on farms; his period in solitary confinement for sabotage; and his long journey home in one of the worst winters on record, across the frozen river Elbe, to Berlin and liberation. His story is also about friendship, of physical and mental resilience and of compassion for everyone who suffered. Part of that story includes the terrible Long March, or Black March, when 80,000 British POWs were forced to trek through a vicious winter westwards across Poland, Czechoslovakia and Germany as the Soviets approached. Thousands died. There are simply no memoirs of that terrible trek - except this one.