We think of the Stephensons and Brunel as the fathers of the railways, and their Liverpool and Manchester and Great Western Railways as the prototypes of the modern systems. But who were the railways' grandfathers and great-grandfathers? The rapid evolution of the railways after 1830 depended on the juggernauts of steam locomotion being able to draw upon centuries of experience in using and developing railways, and of harnessing the power of steam. Giants the Stephensons and others may have been, but they stood upon the foundations built by many other considerable - if lesser-known - talents. This is the story of those early pioneers of steam.

In June 1940 Britain's front-line against the German armies was the coast of Kent and Sussex. Across the Channel Hitler's all-conquering forces gathered, preparing for invasion, as the Home Forces struggled desperately to recover from the disaster and miracle of Dunkirk. Occupation of these islands was nearer than for almost nine hundred years. Kent and Sussex 1940, tells the story of the Kent and Sussex communities that found themselves in the front-line, placing their experience within the context of huge historic events and showing what invasion andoccupation would have been like.

The Little Book of Manchester is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people and events in the city, from its Roman origins to the present day. Here you can read about the important contributions the city made to the history of the nation, learn about the individual communities and how they came together to form the modern city and meet some of the great men and women, the eccentrics and the scoundrels with which its history is littered. A reliable reference book and quirky guide, its bite-sized chunks of history can be dipped into time and again to reveal some new facts about the story of this amazing city. This is a remarkably engaging little book.

The Little Book of Berkshire is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people and events in the county, from its earliest origins to the present day. Here you can read about the important contributions Berkshire has made to the history of the nation, and meet some of the great men and women, eccentrics and scoundrels with which its history is littered. Packaged in an easily readable 'dip-in' format, visitors and locals alike will find something to remind, surprise, amuse and entertain them in this remarkably engaging little book.

Manchester has a story that is no ordinary local history. Its life has been inextricably entwined with the rise and fall of the nation's fortunes and, tono small extent, those of the British Empire. Manchester was the shock city of the early 19th century- the place where it was all happening. The radical new relationships forged there between employer and employee greatly influenced the development of Marxism, with all its consequences for the 20th century. In transport terms alone, the city led the way with the first real canal, the first real railway, the first public bus service and the first municipal airport. Its local government set a pace for enterprise that the rest of the country could only follow. The social and economic problems that arose here became matters of national concern, while the political issues that stirred the city led to national reform. Disraeli coined the term 'the Manchester School' to describe the middle-class radicals who were the prime movers of the Anti-Corn Law League. The Manchester Guardian held the attention of the nation's decision-makers for many decades before it became a national newspaper, and when the population took to the streets they shook the government to its core. This book is for anyone wishing to know more about Manchester's illustrious past and the city's prominent place in the nation's development.