This illustrated history portrays one of England's finest major cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Birmingham's past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Birmingham has long been an important centre in the West Midlands but during the Industrial Revolution it grew to become England's second city. The myriad of manufacturing businesses in Birmingham created a dynamic local economy and the city prospered. Although the town was heavily bombed in the Second World War and its infrastructure was badly damaged, the city was redeveloped post-war, with many areas being rebuilt from scratch. Birmingham continued to be regenerated in subsequent decades and today it is a powerful commercial city of international importance.

The towns and villages west of Birmingham, around Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Wallsall, became known as the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution due to the intense industrialisation of the area, particularly coal mining and ironworking. The towns soon became one continuously built-up area, which developed its own distinctive character. Secret Black Country explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of the area through the years, from Dudley Castle and royal connections with Lady Jane Grey and Queen Elizabeth I, visits by Charles I and Charles II in the English Civil War and visits by the future Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson to Himley Hall, which became a Red Cross hospital for patients with severe facial injuries during the Second World War, to the evidence of Charlie Chaplin's birthplace on Black Patch Park in Smethwick. Entries include the massive cavern beneath Dudley Zoo used for storage during the Second World War, the stories behind the gruesome nineteenth-century robbery and murder that caused Fir Tree Hill to be renamed and the tragic death of Dorothy Beaumont, wife of the Deputy Commander of Dudley Castle, while under siege in the Civil War, who is said to still haunt the ruins. Fully illustrated throughout, this book will reveal the hidden heritage of this historic area.

An enchanted cauldron of mysticism and modern-day life in deepest Dorset - the spirit of the pagan past is alive today and continues to haunt the people, ancient landscape and strange artefacts in its midst. Forty year old Erica, experiences a life changing moment at the village's Beltane celebrations. Later the same day, while out walking with her dog on the Oakenland she finds a mysterious crystal. The crystal leads her on a quest to discover its secret. Told through a compelling mixture of myth, metaphysics and science and brought to life by believable and well-rounded characters, this tale suggests that New-Age spirituality and twenty-first century physics might be closer than imagined.This is no fantasy, but firmly based upon the edge of the possible - the edge of now.

Birmingham - Britain's second largest city - lies in the heart of the country. Nicknamed the 'city of a thousand trades', it became the workshop of England in the Industrial Revolution and, as the centre of the Enlightenment in the Midlands, was a hotbed of scientific thinking and technological innovation. The Lunar Society, including luminaries such as Erasmus Darwin and James Watt, met regularly at industrialist Matthew Boulton's Soho House. The Cadbury family's Arts and Crafts model village of Bournville, built for their workers, is sought after today, and although many famous industries associated with Birmingham - from Bird's custard to BSA armaments and motorcycles - have gone, the eclectic Jewellery Quarter remains and a resurgent Birmingham is typified by its 1960s Rotunda, rebuilt Bullring and renovated old canal area around Gas Street Basin. In A-Z of Birmingham Andrew Homer delves into the history of the city. He picks out well-known landmarks and famous residents such as Oscar Deutsch, founder of the Odeon cinema chain, Joseph Hansom, inventor of the safety cab, and a youthful J. R. R. Tolkien and digs beneath the surface to uncover some of the lesser-known facts about Birmingham and its hidden places of interest. This fascinating A-Z tour of Birmingham's history is fully illustrated and will appeal to all those with an interest in this West Midlands city.