Winner of Best Books with Facts in the 2013 Blue Peter awards, voted for by children. This paperback edition includes a link to download a free audio version of the book read by Sir Tony Robinson. In Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders World War II, Sir Tony Robinson takes you on a headlong gallop through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, entertaining, smelly and disgusting bits about World War II! It's history, but not as we know it! Find out everything you need to know in this brilliant, action-packed, fact-filled book, including: - Just how useful mashed potato is - How the Battle of Britain was won - What it takes to be a spy - How D-Day was kept a surprise For more World War history facts in this fun series, discover World War I.

This paperback edition includes a link to download a free audio version of the book read by Sir Tony Robinson. In Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders World War I Tony Robinson takes you on a headlong gallop through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, entertaining, smelly and disgusting bits about World War I. It's history, but not as we know it! Find out everything you ever needed to know about World War I in this brilliant action-packed, fact-filled book, including: - How to build a trench - Why dogs were such good messengers - How plastic surgery was invented - Why you needed a gas mask What are you waiting for? Let's get going . . . For more World War history facts in this fun series, discover World War II.

From the fury of the Punic Wars to the onslaught of Operation Desert Storm, relive the most famous battles in history in this gripping guide. This military history book takes you on a journey through the battlefields of history, from the ancient world to the American Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. Maps, paintings, and photographs reveal the stories behind more than 90 of the most important battles ever to take place, and show how fateful decisions led to glorious victories and crushing defeats. From medieval battles and great naval confrontations to the era of high-tech air battles, key campaigns are illustrated and analysed in detail - the weapons, the soldiers, and the military strategy. Famous military leaders are profiled, including Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Rommel, and crucial arms, armour, and equipment are explained. Whether at Marathon, Agincourt, Gettysburg, or Stalingrad, Battles that Changed History takes you into the thick of combat, and shows how kingdoms and empires have been won and lost on the battlefield.

Entire third series of the historic sitcom, which finds a Regency Edmund Blackadder employed as butler to the Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie), who is thicker than a whale omelette. In 'Dish and Dishonesty', Blackadder enters the world of politics while his master teeters on the brink of bankrupcy. 'Ink and Incapability' sees the rubber-faced one in a bit of a fix when his odorous manservant Baldrick (Tony Robinson) burns the only existing copy of Doctor Johnson's brand new dictionary. In 'Nob and Nobility', Edmund reluctantly turns adventurer when he agrees to rescue a French aristo in return for a huge wodge of cash. 'Sense and Senility' finds Edmund ousted from the Prince's favour when the latter takes elocution lessons from a pair of overly mannered thespians. In 'Amy and Amiability', the Prince finds true love and Blackadder finds that the lif eof a highwayman is not all it is cracked up to be. Finally, in 'Duel and Duality', the Prince puts hi sfoot in it when he soils a couple of Wellingtons, and Blackadder is forced to take his place in a duel to the death with a large-nosed Duke.

In The Worst Children's Jobs in History Sir Tony Robinson takes you back to the days when being a kid was no excuse for getting out of hard labour. This book tells the stories of all the children whose work fed the nation, kept trains running, and put clothes on everyone's backs, over the last few hundred years of Britain's history. No longer will you have to listen to your parents, grandparents, uncles, neighbours, and random old people in the Co-op telling you how much harder they had it in their day. Next time you find yourself in that situation, ask them if they were a jigger-turner or a turnip-picker in their young day. No? An orderly boy, perhaps? A stepper? Maybe they spent their weekends making matchboxes? Still no? Then they have no idea about the real meaning of hard work. With profiles and testimonies of real kids in rotten jobs, this book will tell you things you probably didn't want to know about the back-breaking, puke-inducing reality of being a child in the past. For more gruesome history facts discover Bad Kids: The Naughtiest Children in History.

This book tells the story of Somerset's archaeology and history, from the earliest times up to the twentieth century. Generously illustrated with drawings by the internationally renowned artist Victor Ambrus, best known for his appearances on Channel 4's Time Team, this graphic recreation of places and events offers a visually exciting history of Somerset sure to be enjoyed by all who know and love the county. The illustrations, many of which were done on site and have never been published before, are accompanied by photographs of locations and archaeological objects, bringing Somerset's past to life.

The entire first series of the historical sitcom, created by Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. Atkinson plays the scheming member of a 15th century royal court, with Tony Robinson as his witless sidekick Baldrick. The episodes are 'The Foretelling', 'Born to Be King', 'The Archbishop', 'The Queen of Spain's Beard', 'Witchsmeller Pursuivant' and 'The Black Seal'.

Great writers, artists, musicians and thinkers in British life say what Europe means to them: an outpouring of love and sadness. With pieces from Frank Cottrell Boyce, Melvyn Bragg, Margaret Drabble, Alan Hollinghurst, Will Hutton, Holly Johnson, Penelope Lively, Jonathan Meades, Deborah Moggach, Alan Moore, Jackie Morris, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Chris Riddle, Tony Robinson, Pete Townshend, Kate Williams, Michael Wood and many more... As Britain pulls away from Europe great British writers come together to give voice to their innermost feelings. Contributing essays that contain some of their finest writings and perspectives very different to the ones given in news outlets. The creative community here has its say on Brexit. Novelists, artists, comedians, historians, biographers, nature writers, film writers, travel writers, people young and old and from an extraordinary range of backgrounds. Most are famous perhaps because they have won the Booker or other literary prizes, written bestsellers, changed the face of popular culture or sold millions of records. Others are not yet household names but write with depth of insight and feeling. There is some extraordinary writing in this book. Some of these pieces are expressions of love of particular places in Europe. Some are true stories, some nostalgic, many hopeful. There are hilarious pieces. There are cries of pain and regret. Some pieces are quietly devastating. All are passionate. They show how Europe has helped us to expand our emotional, intellectual and artistic bandwidth, and hopefully will continue to do just that. Contributors include: Mary Beard, Jeffrey Boakye, Melvyn Bragg, Simon Callow, B. Catling, Shami Chakrabarti, Chris Cleave, Frank Cottrell Boyce, William Dalrymple, Lindsey Davis, Margaret Drabble, Tracey Emin, Michel Faber, Sebastian Faulks, Neil Gaiman, Evelyn Glennie, Alan Hollinghurst, Will Hutton, Holly Johnson, Ruth Jones, A.L. Kennedy, Hermione Lee, Prue Leith, Roger Lewis, Penelope Lively, Richard Mabey, Jonathan Meades, Andrew Miller, Deborah Moggach, Alan Moore, Paul Morley, Jackie Morris, Charles Nicholl, Irenosen Okojie, Onjali Q. Rauf, Chris Riddell, Tony Robinson, J.K. Rowling, Rhik Samadder, Isy Suttie, Sandi Toksvig, Pete Townshend, Kate Williams and Michael Wood.

A fun, swashbuckling adventure. Ben arrives at pirate school ready and raring to learn all about how to be the best pirate he can be! But instead of lessons in walking the plank, cutlass-swinging and singing sea shanties, the Headmistress seems more focused on teaching business and economics. Ben can't have that! With the help of comrade-in-arms Short John Silver, an uprising is planned...High quality cream paper and easy to read special font ensure a smooth read for all.

Packed full of incident and insight, No Cunning Plan is a funny, self-deprecating and always entertaining memoir by Sir Tony Robinson. Sir Tony Robinson is a much-loved actor, presenter and author with a stellar career lasting over fifty years. In this autobiography he reveals how the boy from South Woodford went from child stardom in the first stage production of Oliver!, a pint-sized pickpocket desperately bleaching his incipient moustache, to comedy icon Baldrick, the loyal servant and turnip aficionado in Blackadder. It wasn't all plain sailing though. Along the way he was bullied by Steve Marriott, failed to impress Liza Minnelli and was pushed into a stinking London dock by John Wayne. He also entertained us with Maid Marion and Her Merry Men (which he wrote and starred in) and coped manfully when locked naked outside a theatre in Lincoln during the live tour of comedy series Who Dares Wins. He presented Time Team for twenty years, watching countless gardens ruthlessly dug up in the name of archaeology, and risked life and limb filming The Worst Jobs in History.

Rumours of buried Spitfires from the Second World War have spread around the world for seventy-five years. In April 2012, the press reported that the UK had negotiated an agreement with Myanmar for the recovery of twenty crated Spitfires, reportedly buried after WW2. Astonishingly the agreement came about through the single-minded determination of a farmer, David Cundall. Armed with a high-tech survey showing mysterious shapes under the surface of Yangon International Airport, David's expedition is equipped with JCB excavators. But instead of Spitfires, the team unearths a tale of fake history. The Buried Spitfires of Burma explores what happened next as David Cundall's dream unravelled over the course of a historical 'whodunnit' that spans seven decades and three continents. It follows one of the most bizarre stories since the sensational Hitler Diaries hoax.

In Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: Pets, Sir Tony Robinson takes you on a headlong gallop through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, entertaining and smelly bits about pets. It's history, but not as we know it!

Find out everything you ever needed to know about pets through time in this brilliant illustrated, action-packed, fact-filled book, including:

- The fact that Egyptians worshipped cats and shaved off their eyebrows to mourn them when they died

- The brilliant and extremely useful jobs that animals did and still do for us in times of war

- A whole array of bizarre animals through time, including medieval squirrels!

- Pet fashions and fashionable pets

And lots of other facts about the amazing pets that we spend our lives with.

What are you waiting for? Let's get going . . .

For more funny history facts discover the whole series!

An epic historical joke and fact book from TV legend Sir Tony Robinson, author of the bestselling The Worst Children's Jobs in History and the Weird World of Wonders series. Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders Joke Book is hilarious historical fun! Q: How did the Vikings send secret messages? A: Norse code! Q: Why were the early days of history called the Dark Ages? A: Because there were so many knights. Plus many many more!

Tony Robinson presents this television series in which he journeys by foot across historical landscapes around Britain. He visits places including West Yorkshire, the Cairngorms National Park and the Channel Islands and along the way makes discoveries about each location's past. The episodes are: 'Bronte Country', 'Victoria and Albert's Highland Fling', 'The Norman Conquest of Pembrokeshire', 'Nazi Occupation: The Channel Islands', 'King John's Ruin: The Peak District' and 'England's Last Battle: The West Country'.

Chedworth is one of the few Roman villas in Britain whose remains are open to the public, and this book seeks to explain what these remains mean. The fourth century in Britain was a 'golden age' and at the time the Cotswolds were the richest area of Roman Britain. The wealthy owners of a villa such as Chedworth felt themselves part of an imperial Roman aristocracy. This is expressed at the villa in the layout of the buildings, rooms for receiving guests and for grand dining, the provision of baths, and the use of mosaics. The villa would also have housed the wife, family and household of the owner and been the centre of an agricultural estate. In the nineteenth century Chedworth was rediscovered, and part of the villa's tale is the way in which it was viewed by a nineteenth-century Cotswold landowner, Lord Eldon, and then its current owners, the National Trust. Now, in this remarkable and beautifully illustrated volume, Chedworth's story is told in full.

Tony Robinson-Smith could hardly imagine that he, his wife, ten Bhutanese college students, and a stray dog would end up running 578 kilometres (360 miles) across the Himalayas. In early 2006, he arrived in the Kingdom of Bhutan to work as a university lecturer. A casual conversation with his wife led to the creation of the "Tara-thon," a sponsored run to send village kids to school for Tarayana, the Queen Mother's non-profit foundation. In Bhutan-the country that originated the concept of Gross National Happiness-Robinson-Smith discovered he had much to learn. His memoir portrays Bhutan and its people in rich detail at a transformative moment of the Kingdom's history. Touching and insightful, The Dragon Run is the perfect book for inveterate explorers, adventure sports enthusiasts, and armchair travellers alike.