Bøker utgitt av Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The Soldier Kings of France explores the reigns of eight monarchs, from King Charles II to Napoleon Bonaparte, tracing their roles in expanding French power and shaping European history.In early October 1795, Napoleon Bonaparte led the governing Directory's army against the rioting royalists in Paris (who were rebelling to restore the monarchy), crushing their campaign and beginning his rise to supremacy and greatness. Napoleon is one of the eight sovereigns discussed in The Soldier Kings of France, who brought glory, power and territorial expansion to France, while altering the course of European history. The work begins in the ninth century with King Charles II's seizure of the French crown and concludes in the nineteenth century with Napoleon's rise and fall. In the book, the reign of Philip II and his participation in the Third Crusade to the Holy Land is the second monarch reviewed, followed by Louis XI, who ended the Hundred Year War with the English and Louis XII's rule is next, which fought to expand French territorial holdings into the Lombardy region of Italy. The fifth king surveyed is Francis I and his enlargement of French lands into Italy, while the sixth king is Henry IV, whose conversion to the Catholic faith ended thirty years of French religious wars and established a stable and popular regime. The kingship of Louis XIV is the book's seventh overlord, whose rule was occupied with wars to expand his territories and the building of France into the center of European culture, arts, architecture and music during the Baroque era, while presiding over a magnificent court at the Versailles Palace. The final sovereign lord discussed is Napoleon Bonaparte, who led his armies to victory, establishing French dominance across Europe until his defeats at Leipzig and Waterloo and his forced exile to the remote and desolate island of Elba in the south Atlantic Ocean.

The JFK assassination, a pivotal moment, stirs enduring conspiracy theories and questions of accountability, justice, and governmental transparency.The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is one of the milestones of history. Everyone, it is said, remembers where they were when they heard the news. Because the official investigation, the Warren Commission, set up by Kennedy's successor in the White House, Lyndon Johnson, was such a whitewashing travesty of justice, the world has felt itself free to speculate ever more wildly about what really happened in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, in November 1963.The killer, said the Warren Commission, was the peculiar loner, Lee Harvey Oswald, and he acted alone. Evidence, science and common sense have long ago proved that this was not possible. So it was the Russians. It was the Cubans. It was the Mafia. It was Lyndon Johnson. It was the Secret Service. It was the FBI. It was the CIA. It was that murky conspiratorial bunch, the Military-Industrial Complex.This book evaluates all the above and comes to another conclusion entirely. The reason that we are still arguing about who was responsible for a murder committed in front of a large crowd in broad daylight is that no one was prepared to put up their hands and admit their responsibility for not doing their jobs properly. Yes, there was a conspiracy, but the 'cock-up' element was even greater. Why was there inadequate Secret Service protection for the president in Dallas? Why was the motorcade route made public well in advance? Why was Lee Oswald identified on the word of a single witness? Why was Jack Ruby allowed to slip past dozens of policemen to kill Oswald? Why were the lawyers of the Warren Commission allowed to select witnesses and bully them into saying what they had not seen? Why did subsequent governmental inquiries fudge the physics of a headshot and a bungled autopsy? Why does the American mainstream media still cling to the lone gunman, single bullet theory?The answer is simple. Everybody in 1963 and for many years afterwards were far too concerned about covering their own backs. Truth and justice got lost somewhere in all of that.

An in-depth study of the Battle of Bannockburn, exploring the strategic preparations and the battle's pivotal impact on future Scottish-English conflicts.The Battle of Bannockburn has long been recognized as one of the most influential moments in Scottish history. The fighting that took place on 23rd and 24th June 1314 is frequently presented as a stirring tale of how a small but committed and well-organized militia army can overcome a larger, better-resourced foe, as well as a crucial early turning point in the long, bitter, and destructive conflicts between Scotland and in England in the late medieval and early modern period. This book offers an in-depth study of the immediate context of the battle, looking in detail at the preparations that both sides undertook in the months leading up to the conflict, and the reactions of the two sides to the outcome following months, aspects which have been overlooked in previous studies.Dr Callum Watson considers the state of affairs in Scotland in the autumn of 1313 and how this influenced Edward II's decision to invade Scotland in 1314. He explores the possibility that King Robert was unwell during this period and considers the influence this had on the outlook and activities of both sides leading up to the battle. He reconstructs the initial Scottish response to this threat, while examining the preparations made by the English crown for the proposed campaign and tracking these alongside Scottish military activities. Detailed consideration is given to what we know about the siege of Stirling and the resultant deal made between the Scots and the Stirling garrison, highlighting how this development fundamentally altered the expectations of both armies and placed them inexorably on the path to direct confrontation at Bannockburn.The battle itself is closely examined, taking into account how Bruce's preparations in the weeks before the event and his inventive use of the landscape secured victory for the Scots. The immediate fall-out of the battle is also discussed, covering efforts by the English crown to consolidate the defenses of northern England against renewed Scottish raiding, the experience of English widows created by the battle to secure their rights, and the cautious attempts at diplomacy - including arrangements made for the exchange of prisoners - undertaken in the months that followed. Finally, Bruce's parliament at Cambuskenneth Abbey in November 1314 is discussed alongside how the gradual redistribution of lands that this facilitated shaped the history of Scotland for the remainder of the fourteenth-century.

A humorous critique of the trends of turning serious subjects into comedy."Nothing now succeeds unless it's in the comic line. We have comic Latin grammars, and comic Greek grammars; indeed, I don't know but what English grammar, too, is a comedy altogether. All our tragedies are made into comedies by the way they are performed; and no work sells without comic illustrations to it. I have brought out several new comic works, which have been very successful. For instance, The Comic Wealth of Nations; The Comic Parliamentary Speeches ... I even propose to bring out a Comic Whole Duty of Man. All these books sell well: they do admirably for the nurseries of the children of the aristocracy. In fact they are as good as manuals and text-books."Those words from best-selling Victorian novelist George W.M. Reynolds were a nod to the work of a writer named Gilbert Abbot á Beckett. Beckett loved history and writing about history but he was also something of a comedian. Then one day he had a bright idea: What if history could be funny and still be factual and educate people? He resolved to start writing a funny history book which he named The Comic History of England, which was originally serialised in Punch in 1847.It was an irreverent take on the conservative history books of Beckett's day. Kings and queens emerge as mean-spirited petty rascals and to look for their virtues "would require the aid of one of those solar microscopes which give visibility to the merest atom, and the particle." Other monarchs such as King John were downright useless and allowed himself to be "bullied by bulls"--papal bulls. The Church came off not better either, being "the medium of extortion" and taking hard-earned money off the people. In this history book, then, readers can laugh with Cæsar during his invasion of Britain; stand in the sea with Canute; and joke about Richard on the field of Bosworth.

Author Elon Perry uniquely combines the narrative of a challenging childhood amidst wartime struggles with the gripping tale of military service in a commando unit.Children in War is a story about vulnerable and helpless children at the mercy of bloodthirsty pompous leaders, who perpetually endanger them through bloody conflicts. It is about courage and survival against apparently overwhelming odds; a childhood in the shadow of continual war and severe poverty, under the terrifying threat of war, relentless danger, and fear. Children who find themselves living in constant anxiety, unable to play freely in their own yard for fear of sirens and shells. This is the story of millions of children around the world who are trapped in war zones, spending days and nights in shelters, instead of enjoying their days in schools and parks. Innocent children, who were forced to live in extreme deprivation due to the depletion of the state budget caused by the war efforts. Children who suffer from severe emotional and psychological trauma and frequently witness images and situations that will remain forever in their memory.The following story is based on real events and is accompanied by original photographs taken at the time of the events described in the book. It is narrated by a boy who lived his childhood and youth under fire, but when he grows up, joins a commando unit to take revenge on the enemy who robbed him of a normal and calm childhood. A little boy who could not comprehend the link between war and the lack of food, toys, and chocolate.This story can be an inspiration to people who find themselves in desperate situations. They can learn how against all odds and in any given situation one can survive difficulties, as long as one has the will, perseverance, and belief that anything is possible.

This book provides a unique and fascinating insight into a little-known aspect of Hitler's life and character.Hitler at Hintersee tells two stories. On the one hand there is Gerhard Bartels, who still lives at Hintersee outside Berchtesgaden. As a small boy Gerhard was photographed on a number of occasions with Adolf Hitler when the Führer visited Hintersee. Gerhard tell us about his life growing up in an area frequented by senior members of the Nazi hierarchy. He talks about the lives of ordinary local people and how the remaining German forces in the area considered putting up a last defence as the Allies advanced towards Berchtesgaden and Hintersee in April and May 1945. His family hotel was taken over as a last stand headquarters.This fascinating book also examines the significance of the region to the ruthless all-powerful regime and why the Nazi leadership established a southern headquarters on the Obersalzberg above Berchtesgaden. It reveals Hitler's connection to the area and looks at why he was initially drawn to this beautiful Alpine region in 1923.Hitler's close links with Berchtesgaden and the Obersalzberg endured for over twenty years during which time the area was transformed. Local sources together with a wealth of contemporary images provide a depth of previously unexplored information. Hitler at Hintersee provides a unique and fascinating insight into a little-known aspect of Hitler's life and character.

A guide for modeling Victorian architecture, inspired by a community restoration project.Euston Station was the first intercity railway gateway for London and with the famed Doric Arch became a major landmark of that city. Initially built for the London and Birmingham Railway, it became the terminus of the LNWR Premier Line, then HQ of the London Midland and Scottish. The controversial 1960's demolition of the site stimulated the building preservation movement. Latterly we have a challenging on / off love affair with the area through the High Speed Two project. This book contains both a background history of Euston and its environs, combined with a modellers review of building a 'OO' gauge mid Victorian station complex. A core model of the old station was kindly donated to the Market Deeping Model Railway Club (MDMRC) following the sad act of vandalism of their model railway show in 2019. This in turn served as a stimulus to expand, detail and research during the Covid isolation and lockdown years. This book is the end result of these endeavours. We use the model to underpin the history and allow a geographical walkthrough of the site, plus hints, tips and techniques on building a landmark model. It has been an enjoyable and eye opening challenge to unveil the story under, through and over Euston. Written and contributed to by members of the MDMRC, all royalties will go the club. Charity number: 1187779.

Brian Slade, RAF's youngest bomber pilot of WW2, embarked on a remarkable career at 17, pioneering pathfinder tactics until his tragic loss over Berlin.Having left his grammar school just before his 16th birthday, Brian Slade falsified his age to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. Within a few days of his 17th birthday, he was awarded his 'wings'. It was the start of this teenager's remarkable wartime career.Soon after being awarded his pilot's brevet, Brian was posted to his first squadron. Flying the venerable Vickers Wellington, he found himself experimenting with early target marking techniques. It was also there that Brian gained the nickname 'The Boy Slade'.Though Brian's journey through the wartime RAF mirrored the experiences of tens of thousands of young men, what was different, if not unique, was the fact before he had turned 18, which was the minimum age to begin aircrew training, Brian had already completed thirty-four operations - more than was needed for a tour. This tally included the three 1,000 bomber raids against Cologne, Essen and Bremen. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for nursing his badly damaged Wellington, which sustained flak and night-fighter damage, home after a raid on Bremen.Undaunted, Brian soon after volunteered for his second tour of operations. It was at this stage that he joined the Lancaster-equipped 83 Squadron in the newly formed 8 Group, becoming an experienced Pathfinder skipper. It was a role in which he marked targets in the Battle of the Ruhr, the bombing of Hamburg (Operation Gomorrah) and the Peenemünde raid.The RAF's Youngest Bomber Pilot of WW2, told by his nephew, a former officer in the British Army, details all of Brian's fifty-nine missions, and captures his compelling progress with Bomber Command, alongside the technological advances in aircraft, pathfinder strategy and tactics. Sadly, Brian's Lancaster was shot down over Berlin in August 1943. The details of its loss remained shrouded in mystery until the puzzle of his aircraft's demise was eventually solved by tracing the family of the only survivor.The relent-less dangers, not just in operations but also in training, and the continuous loss of life, are drawn into sharp focus. But, on account of his age, Brian's story is unique. There may have never been, nor will ever be, an RAF pilot of 19 years old with his flying and operational experience.Complemented with a collection of previously unpublished photographs, The RAF's Youngest Bomber Pilot of WW2 is one of the Second World War's most amazing tales.

Vice Admiral Schofield recounts Operation NEPTUNE's monumental role in the D-Day landings, offering firsthand insights from his pivotal position at HMS Dryad.Operation NEPTUNE was the codeword for the naval side of the OVERLORD plan for the historic June 1944 landings in Normandy. Massive in its scale, its tasks were wide-ranging and varied, from beach reconnaissance, minesweeping, shore bombardment as well as the organization of loading, assembly and disembarkation; it was also responsible for positioning two Mulberry artificial harbors and Pluto: the laying of the cross-channel fuel pipeline under the sea. Operation NEPTUNE may not have been a naval battle in the traditional sense, but it ranks as one of the greatest naval exploits in history.In this timeless book, Vice Admiral Schofield describes the great events of June 1944 which, as Captain of HMS Dryad, the Royal Naval shore establishment which housed General Dwight Eisenhowers Supreme Allied Headquarters before the landing, he witnessed at first hand.

A journey back in time through objects and locations into the life of one of Britain's most enigmatic and celebrated individuals.A twentieth century icon, Lawrence of Arabia, as Thomas Edward Lawrence is more commonly known, spent thirteen out of his forty-six years in the region from which he drew his name. This was as a scholar researching his university thesis, a spy surveying Sinai for the British Army before the First World War, an intelligence officer in Cairo, a liaison officer to the Arabs, and as a diplomat who galvanised and united the Arab tribes into an effective fighting force. He became an explosives expert and a guerrilla fighter who influenced Arab leaders in defeating their Ottoman occupiers.The story of his achievements in Arabia, derailing Turkish trains and attacking enemy strongholds, has become the stuff of legend. But his life after the disappointment of witnessing the Arabs being denied independence at the end of the First World War is as intriguing as his more famous escapades in the desert.Uncomfortable with the fame and celebrity status that Lowell Thomas's lectures brought upon him, after a brief tenure as a civil servant working for Winston Churchill in an attempt to address the failure of achieving Arab independence at the Cairo Conference, Lawrence, the former Lieutenant-Colonel, remarkably sought a life in obscurity. In the years after the war, for example, he served in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftsman and spent a brief period as a private in the Royal Tank Corps under the alias John Hume Ross or Thomas Edward Shaw. He became a competent marine motor mechanic, and was personally involved in the development of the fast RAF 200 Seaplane tender and an armoured target boat. He also became a renowned author and could claim literary giants such as Thomas Hardy, E.M. Forster and George Bernhard Shaw as his friends.In this highly illustrated book, the story of Lawrence's fascinating life is explored through many of the places and objects associated with him, from his birthplace in Wales through to his grave at Moreton in Dorset. Lawrence of Arabia features his places of education in Oxford, sites where he served as a British Army intelligence officer in Cairo, as liaison officer and adviser to the Arabs, even where he fought alongside his Arab brothers against the Ottomans.It also follows his life in the years after Arabia. Some of the fascinating locations Paul Kendall visits include RAF stations at Calshot and Bridlington, or the Tank Depot at Bovington Camp where he served in the ranks, his cottage at Clouds Hill and the homes of his famous friends that he frequently visited. The objects examined include Arab robes that he wore, his Khanjar, his service rifle, and even the Brough motorcycle which he enjoyed and valued.This book is not just a journey across Arabia, Britain and Europe, but also a journey back in time through objects and locations into the life of one of Britain's most enigmatic and celebrated individuals.

Recounting the role of women in the Jacobite rebellions and how their courageous actions, sacrifices, and contributions shaped British history.The flight of King James II in November 1688 was a seminal moment in British history. The deposed Catholic King set up house and home in Paris, William and Mary succeeded to the throne of England and over fifty years of trouble, strife, war and execution began to consume England, Scotland and Ireland. The Jacobites - supporters of the dethroned Stuart dynasty - were adamant that James and his heirs should sit once more on the English throne. Invasion followed invasion, battle came after battle, culminating with the defeat of Charles Edward Stuart at Culloden in 1745.The story of those battles and invasions has often been told. However, they have invariably focussed on the male participants, from Scottish clansmen to men like Rob Roy and Bonnie Dundee, from the Old to the Young Pretender Bonnie Prince Charlie, the darling of the late Jacobite movement, they created a legend that still hovers over the period. But very little has ever been written about the women who were involved.Apart from figures of note like Flora MacDonald, the role of women in the rebellions and rising has been largely forgotten. Yet there were hundreds involved in the Jacobite cause. Women tended to wounded soldiers, gave safety and comfort to fleeing Jacobites, and sometimes led the riots and rebellions themselves. Many were imprisoned, many sent away from their homelands, deported to strange and distant lands.Others carried out daring escapes from prisons like The Tower of London and wrote poems and songs that are still read and sung today. Some, women like Jenny Cameron and Grizzel Mhor, became household names for a short while, forgotten now but resurrected here. There are many more, women like Anne Farquharson, Colonel Anne as she was known, who defeated 1500 redcoats with a team of five servants in an engagement called the Rout of Moy. They were - and remain - mostly unknown and forgotten. This book tells their stories.Phil Carradice's well-researched and easy, elegant style of writing brings these forgotten women back to life, giving them the rewards they so richly deserve.

Using combat reports from both sides, this book analyzes the events as they occurred, explaining the reasons for Peiper's failure.Kampfgruppe Peiper was the spearhead of the German 6th Panzer-Army in the Ardennes, responsible for clearing the way for the German tanks towards the Meuse and Antwerp. It was endowed with considerable firepower and brought together the most motivated veterans of the Third Reich. It had to rush forward without regard to its flanks, seizing the bridges over the Meuse before the American army had time to react. After a difficult start, the German armoured column broke through the defensive curtain of Gis and set off on its mission. It had to cross the Ardennes, an easy-to-defend area that the American command used to gain time. One after the other, bridges were being blown in front of Peiper. His fuel ran out, and he found himself at a standstill isolated on a promontory at La Gleize. Using combat reports from both sides, this book analyzes the events as they occurred, minute by minute, explaining the reasons for Peiper's failure, even though, on paper at least, he had everything he needed to win.

During World War II, small Merchant Navy vessels played a crucial role, saving lives amid perilous seas and enemy threats in nearly 800 convoys.The Rescue Ships and the Convoys tells the history of one of the least known aspects of Second World War maritime history. Despite the threat of heavy losses of ships and lives, no hospital ships, which had to be lit, could accompany the convoys as they would betray a convoy's position.The solution was to create a fleet of 30 small Merchant Navy vessels of about 1,500 gross tons, mostly from coastal trade. These 'Rescue Ships', commanded and manned by Merchant Navy personnel, carried medical teams, and life-saving equipment including operating theaters, hospital beds, 'Carley' floats, and hoists.Undeterred either by either enemy action or atrocious weather conditions, these vessels accompanied close to 800 convoys and saved 4,194 lives from ships sunk in the North Atlantic and with the Arctic convoys. During their service, seven Rescue Ships were lost.This is a story packed with suspense, danger, achievement and tragedy. As the author, Vice Admiral Schofield, who was closely involved in the establishment of the fleet, writes, it is a record 'of great humanitarian endeavor, of superb acts of courage, of a display of seamanship of the highest order, of a devotion to duty by medical officers under the most arduous conditions imaginable, of great deeds by men of the Merchant Navy in little ships on voyages they were never designed to undertake.'

The Titanic disaster is examined through the experiences of seven officers, revealing their bravery and the mysteries surrounding the tragedy.The disaster which befell RMS Titanic has become one of the most investigated and analyzed maritime tragedies of all time. Yet there is much still to be untangled from the web of mystery which still surrounds this confused, catastrophic event.The people on board were proud to be part of the ship's highly-publicized first voyage, but as the first batch of officers reported for duty in Belfast to prepare her for her trial trip to Southampton and beyond, they could not have imagined the fate which awaited them. Titanic was, after all, 'unsinkable'.It is exclusively through the eyes of seven unlucky men - the small group of officers onboard for that doomed voyage - that the author reveals the tragedy as it unfolded that night in April 1912. From their assignment to the White Star liner through to their eventual fates.Each one of these seven men behaved with great courage and discipline in a situation beyond anything they had previously experienced and some of the officers left accounts of the horrors they witnessed. Of this small group, four were members of the Royal Naval Reserve; this included Charles Lightoller, who was the Second Officer and in charge of loading passengers into lifeboats on the port side. He was noted for strictly enforcing the 'women and children only' principle, allowing only those men needed for manning the boats to join them.Four of the seven officers survived the ordeal. As the author reveals, one of them had only been formally appointed to the crew the day before Titanic sailed on its climatic maiden voyage. This was Henry Tingle Wilde, who was scheduled to sail with Titanic's sister ship, Olympic, but who was switched to Titanic as the Chief Officer. He reported for duty on the very day the ship departed Southampton. This move meant a reshuffle of the officers and, as only seven officers were deemed necessary, Second Officer David Blair was removed from the crew list and sent ashore. He was certainly the luckiest of all. The unfortunate Wilde went down to the bottom with his ship.Of the many questions asked about that night is that of the fate of Captain Edward Smith. His body was never recovered and it had naturally been assumed that he too had been lost. In Titanic's Unlucky Seven, James Bancroft questions if this might not actually be the case. There is evidence that Smith may have survived the sinking, and was seen and spoken to months after the event by a man who had sailed with him, and who had known him personally for most of his life. Certainly, Smith had good reason to disappear into obscurity.For the first time, a clear picture of the incidents, actions and events leading up to and during the sinking of Titanic can be seen through the stories of the seven men in charge that night.

The Mosquito, a WWII marvel, defied norms with unmatched versatility and speed, serving crucial roles from bomber to fighter.The Mosquito was the most successful battle-winning multi-role combat aircraft of the Second World War. It was introduced by the de Havilland Aircraft Company as an unarmed, un-interceptable, long range, high speed, high altitude medium bomber. An unarmed bomber without protective armament was a concept that ran directly contrary to the tactical doctrines of both the Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Force. Notwithstanding, it was developed to carry out almost unlimited roles including ground-attack dive-bomber, anti-shipping strike aircraft, day, and night fighter, 'Pathfinder' marking targets for a main heavy bomber force, and long-range reconnaissance aircraft. There seemed to be nothing it could not be adapted to do with unmatched success. Its most important role was as a deadly long-range, low level precision ground attack fighter-bomber, ideal for 'special duties' operations. The book examines the crucial role of designers and engineers from drawing board to production and company support. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines it could carry the same bombload as four-engine heavy bombers but at much greater speeds and at altitudes from low-level to ultra-high. It was the combination of this performance with its prodigious range capability that made it a truly strategic weapon in air warfare, striking precision targets in the heart of Nazi-Germany and sapping morale.The text is of full of detailed and dramatic attacks from the aircrew point of view."It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I run green and yellow with envy." Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring.

After the discovery of the potential burial site of this mysterious Dark Age king, this book reveals the little-known life and times of King Cerdic who founded Wessex and the future EnglandThe potential burial site of the mysterious Dark Age king Cerdic who founded Wessex which grew into England is revealed in a new book.Fascinating research based on an ancient land charter from the son of Alfred the Great leads to a former Bronze Age mound on the edge of a Hampshire town. This huge barrow was located near a historic trackway, a Wansdyke-style earthwork and an old Roman Road as a very public statement of power and warning to enemies.Author Paul Harper said: "The exciting discovery has brought the story of Cerdic from a lost period of British history to life. This could be overwhelming proof that Cerdic was not just a product of fantasy in the chaotic aftermath of post-Roman Britain but a real warlord who forged a powerful realm which evolved into the nation of England."The book reveals how Cerdic emerged from the ashes of Rome in the 6th century, with a warband known as the Gewisse which offered protection to civilians from barbarians roaming the land and then fought for territory with rival kingdoms before evolving into the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex.During an unprecedented climate disaster, which blocked out normal sunlight and led to a plague pandemic which killed millions, Cerdic carved out a new domain that shapes Britain up to the present day.One-by-one mysteries are solved including the identity of his shadowy son, the location of every bloody battle against enemy warlords, the links to an iconic medieval poem and the King Arthur legend.

Reexamine the life and impact of King Penda, whose villainous portrayal was challenged as he shaped early medieval Britain through cultural pluralism, stability, and the rise of Mercia during a transformative era.Since the Venerable Bede wrote his iconic Ecclesiastic History of England in the eighth century, King Penda has been relegated to the role of villain and treated as a barrier to advancement in a battle between new ideas and a new culture. Paul Barrett outlines the background to the Anglo-Saxon takeover in England and explores the broad concepts of the Angles' traditional culture, before delving into the life of Penda (605 - 655). Penda's life spanned the first half of the seventh century, the era which gave birth to national identities which still form the central components of modern Britain; Wales, Scotland, and England all take shape through this period. Penda's seemingly impossible ascent to prominence starts on the very periphery of power and ends with the dominance of Britain. He is at the center of Mercia's birth, expansion and rise. Throughout his reign his kingdom becomes a bastion of stability in a period of endemic warfare, climate change challenges, cultural competition, and unstable nation-to nation relationships. Throughout his life Penda challenges the status quo and shows the value of cultural pluralism in a time when the growing power of a new faith, Christianity, was pushing all others into extinction. Guided by his loyalty to an ancient culture, service to his family, and his powerful Queen Cynewise, Penda launched Mercia towards eventual supremacy, which would last for over 200 years. He was the last of the great Anglo-Saxon heathen warlords.

Explore London Transport's transformation from monopoly in 1933 to decentralized bus services, reflecting regional changes in Greater London and beyond.London Transport was created in 1933 with monopoly powers. Not only did it have exclusive rights to run bus (and tram and trolleybus) services in the Greater London area, it also ran services in a Country Area all around London. Green Line express services linked the country towns to London and in most cases across to other country towns the other side of the metropolis. This country area extended north as far as Hitchin, east to Brentwood, south to Crawley and west to Windsor.But what of the towns at the edge of the country area? Here the green London Transport buses would meet the bus companies whose operations extended across the rest of the counties of Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire etc. In some cases the town was at a node where more than one company worked in. At Luton there was a municipal fleet. Elsewhere, such as at Aylesbury there were local independent operators who had a share in the town services.It would all change from 1970 when the London Transport Country Area was transferred to the National Bus Company to form a new company named London Country Bus Services. This would later be split into four separate companies. Deregulation in 1985 and privatization in the 1990s led to further changes in the names and ownership of bus companies. Consolidation since then has seen the emergence of national bus groups - Stagecoach, First Group, Arriva and Go-Ahead replacing the old names and liveries. But retrenchment by these companies has given an opportunity for new independent companies to fill the gaps.This book takes the form of an anti-clockwise tour around the perimeter of the London Country area, north of the Thames featuring a number of key towns starting at Tilbury and ending at High Wycombe, illustrating some of the many changes to bus companies that have occurred.

Explores the life of a young engineer turned prolific writer, chronicling Britain's industrial heritage through adversity and literary success.In 1926, Tom Rolt who was then sixteen years old, abandoned his public school education. Having taken a job with a small firm of agricultural engineers, he realised that he had found his life's calling. But the way ahead was neither smooth nor easy. Having secured a premium apprenticeship, the firm which took him on foundered and although he eventually qualified as a mechanical engineer, the 1930s depression made it almost impossible to find regular employment.Nothing daunted, with the encouragement of his mysterious companion 'Cara', he turned to writing. His literary career flourished alongside his association with the Vintage Sports Car Club, the Inland Waterways Association and the Talyllyn Railway. Between his Inland Waterways Association and Talyllyn phases, Angela, his first wife, left him to join Billy Smart's Circus, and Sonia -an actress-turned-boatwoman - would become his second wife. Over the course of his life, he produced over thirty books, their subject matters ranging from canals and railways to engineering biography; company histories; a collection of accomplished ghost stories and a topographical survey of Worcestershire. He also wrote polemics about the plight of the craftsman in a world which relied increasingly upon mass production.In this book, the first full-length biography of Tom Rolt and a complement to his auto-biographical Landscape trilogy, Victoria Owens draws upon his surviving letters and unpublished manuscripts to tell the story of the engineer-turned-writer who made Britain's industrial past the stuff of enduring literature.

Heavy gun mountings dominated the design of larger warships, on account of their size, weight, protection and cost. In the 1890s, British gun mountings developed rapidly with new gun technologies (wire winding, cordite) and the rise of the two major ordnance companies, Armstrongs and Vickers, producing large numbers of weapons for the Royal Navy and for worldwide export. But by 1960, aircraft and guided missiles had made the big gun redundant, so the period from 1890s to 1950s covering the two world wars is the most historically significant. The focus of this book is on the larger mountings and those fitted in the larger ships - the massively engineered 'non transferable' mountings, whose complexities and associated magazines took up a huge volume of the ship, unlike the smaller calibre 'transferable' mountings mostly bolted to the deck. Such mountings could weigh over 1000 tons, take two years to build and make up a quarter of the cost of a battleship. Although they existed in many variants, there were only about forty basic mountings from 4.5in to 18in calibre fitted to the majority of the RN's larger ships so these take up the bulk of the book. For each, well illustrated handbooks with coloured plates were produced, but are largely inaccessible to the public, so about 50 of these highly detailed drawings are reproduced at large scale. The smaller mountings and the guns themselves each have a separate chapter. Although the impact of the book is largely visual, there is an expert account of the design, construction and installation of such mountings, and their manufacturers, supported by a range of internal and close-up photographs. The reference value of the work is enhanced by a comprehensive table of mountings and their characteristics, plus a list of all the mountings made by Vickers of Barrow between 1900 and 1950. Providing easy access to so much rarely seen material, this handsome volume will appeal to modelmakers, ship enthusiasts and technical historians.

A history of the hard conditions of the British penal system.In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Britain had eased its problem of crowded jails and surplus criminals by packing them into ships and sending them off to the American colonies to be sold as what nearly amounted to slave labor. All this came to an end with the revolution of 1776 and the legal system was stuck with an ever-increasing army of desperate felons.As there was no national prison system, these felons were crammed on to derelict sailing ships, the hulks, and put to hard labor in appalling conditions, mainly along the rivers Thames and Medway. Their story has been largely ignored by generations of historians and here, for the first time, detailed accounts of their plight, along with the lives and careers of the quite extraordinary men who ruled over them, is examined. Duncan Campbell, for instance, was the ship's captain and plantation owner who first organized the hulk system, and Aaron Graham the magistrate who spied upon, and then defended, the leader of the Nore mutiny and employed William Bligh of the Bounty mutiny to captain his ships.There are biographies of some of the colorful rogues, children and gentleman thieves who were crammed together and condemned to spend years in despair, starvation and degradation, often with their arms and legs manacled and subject to vicious punishments for minor infringements of the regulations.In theory, the hulks were simply holding pens until convicts could be shipped off to the new colonies in Australia, but many sentenced to be transported for terms of between seven years to life were destined to serve most of, if not all, their term onboard. Those that did make it to the other side of the world after a harrowing journey were seldom better off and their story is told in the final chapter.

A history of the twelve cafes that shaped European history and culture.Since the seventeenth century, the café, or coffee house, in Europe has been the key gathering place of innovators and mavericks - the writers, artists, philosophers and political figures who formed influential affiliations and gave birth to revolutionary movements that still affect our lives today. It was the type of establishment ideally suited for this role. Unlike the tavern, pub or bar, where one's senses grow ever duller from alcohol, one can sit for hours in a café with like-minded companions, consuming the coffee that sharpens wits and conversations. No wonder so many new ideas were generated in the legendary cafés of Paris and Vienna, Rome and Venice, Prague, Budapest and other major European cities.In her latest book, Monica Porter leads the reader on an entertaining waltz through six centuries, nine European countries (plus America) and a wealth of historic episodes featuring some of the most intriguing and noteworthy people who ever lived. As she reveals, playing its vital part in all their stories - at times in the background, at times front and centre - is that enticing venue: the café.The twelve venerable establishments of the book's title - the oldest dating from 1686, the newest from 1911 - are all still in existence. And so, after learning about their fascinating historical associations, readers can experience these places for themselves, which makes the volume an ideal companion for history buffs, travellers and café-lovers alike.