Port Said September 1st 1945 "As the ship pulled into Alex, the dockside was a hive of activity. The captain had radioed ahead and so there was a battalion of the Kings' African Rifles (KAR)waiting to disarm us as we disembarked. All these KAR's were standing at the order as a staff officer informed us that we were to be placed under arrest and escorted to Khartoum, here we would contemplate our mutiny for 2 years. Our battalion was still under arms; the sound of the cocking of weapons greeted the officer's threat, and a lone voice asked "And who's going to escort the darkies?" All our officers were powerless, we had the drop on the KAR's, all that was needed was for someone to pull the trigger. A Battle Too Far is the true story of Rifleman Henry Taylor 6923581, late 7th Battalion The RifleBrigade (1stBattalion London Rifle Brigade) and is based on his diaries and recollections as told to his son Lawrence. The Foreword is by Lt-Gen Sir Christopher Wallace Chairman of The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum in Winchester. Henrys war began in October 1942 as the 2nd Battle of El Alamein commenced and continued almost non-stop for the next three years. From El Alamein to Tunisia he fought with the 8th Army as they finally pushed Rommel back to the sea.Expecting to return to Britain in preparation for D Day at the last minute plans were changed and they were ordered to Italy instead. Here they found themselves fighting for every inch of land against determined, well dug-in defenders, in conditions often resembling the trenches of WW1. Their reward? Their campaigns forgotten as the world concentrated on the D Day invasion and to be called D Day Dodgers despite enduring some of the heaviest fighting of the war. As Europe celebrated VE Day Henrys war continued as they raced to Austria to prevent Yugoslav forces annexing Carinthia in the opening shots of the Cold War. Then, as the men around him were de-mobbed, Henry and the rest of the Battalion were sent back to Egypt to protect British interests in the continuing civil unrest. Dejected and fed up it only took one incident to spark a mutiny.

It was 2am on the 16th June 1915 and dawn was slowly breaking over Bellewaarde. It was exceptionally quiet, the troops of 3rd Division were situated on the western edge of Railway Wood and shrouded in a thick mist which reduced visibility and gave the illusion of safety. Across the few yards of no mans land, the German troops of Reserve Infantry Regiments (RIR) 248 and 246, and Unter-Elsssisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 132 were also blanketed in the thick damp mist. It swirled round their trenches, deadening sound and reinforcing the illusion that all was secure. Fifty minutes later the planned British artillery bombardment began. By the end of the day more than 4,000 men would be casualties on a field approximately half a mile square. At the close of the 2nd Battles of Ypres, the German trenches between the Menin Road and the Ypres-Roulers railway formed a salient. From Bellewaarde ridge, situated on the eastern side of the lake, they were able to overlook the greater part of the ground east of Ypres. In early June it was decided to attack the salient, and take possession of Bellewaarde ridge. The attack was to be carried out by the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division, with 7th Brigade in support. The book is a tribute to those who fought and died at Bellewaarde on the 16th June 1915 and author royalties will be donated to a fund to help raise money for a memorial.

The Adventure holiday of A lifetime It had been billed as the holiday of a lifetime. A destination with everything a holiday maker could possibly want. There were towns and cities where they could shop until they dropped and beaches, clubs and nightlife with all kinds of exotic food and drink and anything else they might feel like trying. There were desserts that stretched into infinity, mountains that scaled incredible heights and seas that could challenge even the most jaded pallet. For those of a quieter persuasion there was an abundance of gently rolling countryside in which to relax. So just where did it all go wrong? Just when was it that their dream holiday turned into the Holiday from Hell? For many people on our planet this could be said to be an apt description of their journey through life. From the pain of individual relationships to the devastation of natural disasters and wars, it's no wonder we sometimes question the reasons we are here. The Holiday from Hell describes our spiritual journey from the beginning of our holiday on the earth plane to the end of our time in this physical body. It argues that if we change our perceptions of why we are here and begin to understand the origins of some of our political and religious conflicts we can at last begin to enjoy our lives.