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The small group of enthusiasts and photographers who had braved the winter weather and gathered on the slopes of the Lake DistrictâEUR(TM)s iconic valleys on Wednesday, 9 January 2019, were witnesses to the end of an era. The RAF Tornado GR.4 that raced past them, in some cases at a lower altitude than the onlookers, made the last ever low-level flight by this aircraft in the United Kingdom Low Flying System. Never again would the âEUR¿Mighty FinâEUR(TM), an aircraft that had been a familiar sight among the valleys of the UK for around forty years, provide such a spectacle. First flown in August 1974, the Tornado arguably become of the RAFâEUR(TM)s most important aircraft of the Cold War. Indeed, the Tornado was the mainstay of RAF strike aircraft, from its early days as a nuclear capable low-level interdiction strike fighter (the GR.1 in RAF service), through to its retirement as a more versatile medium to high-level strike fighter, the GR.4\. Along with the shorter-lived Air Defence Variant, the F.2/F.3, the Tornado was without doubt one of the best loved aircraft types amongst photographers and crews with the sheer number of the initial GR.1s allowing them to populate eleven front-line squadrons as well as the training units of the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment and the Tornado Weapons Unit. Altogether, over twenty units flew variants of the type in the RAF alone. The Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment also catered for the other partner nations of Germany and Italy with all crews finding their way into the United Kingdom Low Flying System on a regular basis. It was, in fact, the impending introduction of the Tornado and the resulting increase in low-level activity that forced a restructuring of the UKLFS in 1979\. In this book, Scott Rathbone provides a pictorial record of the Tornado in its element, that of low-level. With images dating back to the 1980s, almost all variants are accounted for, as are the majority of RAF squadrons and units from other nationsâEUR(TM) air arms. Colour is in abundance, with various camouflage patterns and special schemes as seen and photographed in the UKLFS and elsewhere, including the United States of America, over four decades. This, then, is a unique tribute to a remarkable aircraft.

Early 1943 marked a turning point in the battle on the Eastern Front. After the devastating defeat at Stalingrad, the German army was no longer able to take the initiative and control the battle. In the following years, despite tactical victories, the German army would be gradually pushed back until Soviet units eventually reached Berlin and captured the Reichstag. In the meantime, both enemies had learned a great deal and new weapons were rapidly introduced onto the battlefield. On 8 May 1945, this bloody confrontation between the two giants ended in the unconditional surrender of Germany and a new geopolitical equilibrium was created. This titanic battle is illustrated with witness accounts from generals, soldiers and civilians. Attention is not only paid to the course of the battle, but also to the tactics and organisational dimensions of the armies involved, the challenges of the vastness of the country, the dilemmas for civilians caught between the fighting parties and the flight of millions of Germans to the West in an attempt to escape from the atrocities of the Soviet army. The book also considers the role of the Reichsbahn in the field of logistics, and the importance of the innovation and production capacity of both armies. In also pays attention to the origins of the Cold War that was to follow this confrontation and which would last until 1989.

At 7.15pm on Sunday August 29th 1819, the village of Ashow, Warwickshire was shook to its core by a young girl's scream at Dial House Farm. Thirteen-year-old Mary Dormer found her mother, Sarah Dormer's, slain body lying in Sarah's bedroom. Sarah's 21-year-old maidservant, Ms Ann Heytrey was charged, arrested, and imprisoned at the County Town Gaol at Warwick, where she would remain until the following year when she was tried at Warwick Assizes for Sarah's murder. After being found guilty, Ann was publicly hanged two days after outside of Warwick Gaol, the last woman to be publicly executed at Warwick. After being cut down, her lifeless body was taken to nearby Kenilworth where she was dissected that evening in the back garden of the local Surgeon. This is the first book ever to be dedicated to reinvestigating the truth, of what really happened on that fateful evening which led to a 59-year old woman to be almost decapitated in her own home, and if Ms Heytrey was really guilty of such a crime. David John Eason explores the family's history, as well as all those involved in the case and trial and the social events of that time, including the massacre at St Peter's Field (Peterloo) in Manchester, which occurred only thirteen days prior to Sarah's apparently unmotivated murder.

The centuries that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476 saw the formation of numerous Romano-Germanic kingdoms from the fusion between different Germanic communities and the Roman population. In time the Frankish Kingdom came to dominate over all the others and conquered most of continental Europe under the guidance of the famous Carolingian royal family. In the book we will follow the military ascendancy of the warlike Franks from 613 to 987. The greatest protagonist of this bloody period was Charlemagne, probably the greatest military commander of the Early Middle Ages. He transformed the Frankish kingdom into a large state âEUR" the Holy Roman Empire âEUR" that dominated most of continental Western Europe for almost a century. Charlemagne spent his long reign (768-814) fighting against a multitude of warlike enemies who lived on the frontiers of his dominions: Arabs, Basques, Bretons, Frisians, Vikings, Saxons, Thuringians, Slavs, Avars, Bavarians and Lombards. He obtained some spectacular victories over the latter, but also suffered some humiliating defeats like the famous one of Roncevaux Pass. Gabriele Esposito follows the evolution of the Frankish Army from the rise of the FranksâEUR(TM) under the Merovingian monarchs to the dissolution of the Carolingian royal family, reconstructing the most important military campaigns in detail. All the major troop types are covered, providing information on the organization and equipment of each contingent. The enemies of the Franks are also considered. The clear text is illustrated with dozens of stunning colour photographs depicting replica weapons and equipment of the period in use.

During his years as executioner between 1901 and 1924, John Ellis hanged over 200 men and women. Among them were some of the most infamous killers of the 20th century including Dr Crippen, John Dickman 'The Railway Murderer', George Smith 'The Brides in the Bath' murderer, Henry Jacoby, poisoners Frederick Seddon and Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong. Ellis also hanged Sir Roger Casement for treachery and carried out the execution of Edith Thompson, one of the most controversial hangings in the history of capital punishment. British executioners kept their own legers recording brief details of those they hanged, John Ellis maintained just such a leger too but he is believed to be the only British executioner to have kept an additional scrapbook of his personal accounts of those he executed and their crimes and as such it is a unique volume in the annals of British crime and punishment. Rediscovered after being lost for decades, John Ellis' scrapbook - its cuttings, manuscript texts, and annotations - have now been diligently transcribed and we can now read the book Ellis envisaged in his own words, and in doing so, we gain a remarkable insight into the life and executions one of Britain's most notable but least-known hangmen.

Throughout history women, from the lowliest of the working classes to the highest echelons of society have been accused of crimes ranging from witchcraft and vampirism to treason and mass murder. Such accusations stuck particularly when it came to women who held power âEUR" the names that we most associate with maligned women today include those that we will all have heard of. The infamy of women such as Lucrezia Borgia and Elizabeth Bathory have come down to us throughout the centuries and even in the modern world, many women are needlessly and falsely vilified. But just how true were these accusations? _The Most Maligned Women in History_ takes a look at the lives of a number of women whose crimes have been seen as some of the most heinous, just how true the rumours were and whether their reputations are deserved.

Englandspiel Nordpol, or Operation North Pole, was a successful Second World War counterintelligence operation conducted by Germany's military intelligence (the Abwehr) between 1942 and 1944. On the night of 6-7 November 1941 two SOE agents, Huub Lauwers and Thys Taconis were parachuted into the Netherlands and dropped over Stegerveld, near Ommen. Lauwers was captured on 6 March 1942, whilst Taconis was captured 3 days later on 9 March. Lauwers was persuaded to send messages back to London by the Germans, in which he intentionally left out two security checks. This should have automatically sounded 'alarm bells' with those who received the messages, but for some inexplicable reason, it did not. Whether this was just a genuine mistake or something more sinister has never been fully ascertained. After all, security checks were in place to ensure that messages received from agents in the field were genuine and were part of the SOE's own transmission protocol.âEUR'âEUR'âEUR'As no one in London realised messages being received from SOE agents in the Netherlands were being sent under the control and direction of German military intelligence, more and more agents and equipment followed unabated for more than 18 months. Of the 54 SOE agents sent to the Netherlands from England during Operation North Pole, 50 died or were executed whilst being held prisoner by the Germans.

This is a comprehensive study of every aircraft type ordered for the Royal Navy since 1908. It includes fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, rigid and non-rigid airships, unmanned aircraft and pilotless target aircraft together with many designs that were ordered but not built so that the importance placed on them by the Naval Staff or their potential technological impact on carrier design and operations can be explained. Every type - even unsuccessful single prototypes - is described; the majority are illustrated by photographs, many of which come from the author's own collection, and the fifty most significant aircraft have detailed drawings. The Australian and Canadian Fleet Air Arms operated RN aircraft types for many years after their formation and these are included together with other types they have operated subsequently to give a more complete overview. The book describes over 400 different types of aircraft built by over 100 different manufacturers to offer the most detailed coverage of RN aircraft ever produced. Research for the book took over forty years and reference material included Admiralty Archives and an array of material in the public domain including manufacturers' data, individual aircraft pilot's notes and a wealth of published sources. David Hobbs is uniquely well-placed to write this book having served in the RN for thirty-three years and retired with the rank of commander. He flew both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and his log book contains 2300 flying hours with 807 day and night deck landings. He served in seven British aircraft carriers and spent four years within RN Director General (Aircraft) Department where he was closely involved with Sea Harrier carrier trials and introduced new visual landing aids for night recoveries and liaised with the USN on carrier operating techniques.

THIS BOOK COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE! If you are planning to travel back to the England of Anglo-Saxon times and begin a new life without technology, how will you manage? If you were a king, a thegn or even a slave, what rights do you have under the law? Are women treated well by their husbands, and if you become sick, what are your chances of recovery? How might you earn your living, and the biggest worry: what to do about those fearsome Vikings?All these questions and more are answered in this self-help guide for time-travellers. It explores the difficulties you may encounter and the problems that might occur, especially as you are a newcomer in this very different world. Fear not: keep this little volume by you; it will help you find your place in society, learn the language and make friends. You will also meet some of the celebrities of the day, from Alfred the Great to the Venerable Bede, and more humble folk such as Tatberht of Lundenwic and Ardith the local baxter. Learn how to make bread and tell a great story; enjoy the mead, and the beauties of Anglo-Saxon art and jewellery. And if you do find yourself involved in a Viking attack, at least you will know your assailants are well groomed - and afterwards, both sides know how to have a great time in the mead-hall. So join in, but keep this book handy, just in case.

During the Second World War over 200,000 British prisoners of war were detained by the Third Reich. A large proportion of these PoWs were members of the Royal Air Force, or airmen who served in it. A number of them have been immortalized in the many books and movies that have portrayed their valiant exploits and escapes, none more so than the events surrounding the Great Escape in 1944.The names of camps such as Stalag Luft III, at Sagan, and Colditz Castle are well known to the general public, the prisoners incarcerated there often being held in high regard. But there were a few PoWs whose loyalty to the cause and their fellow prisoners might not have been as strong.The names of Pilot Officer Railton Freeman, Sergeant Jack Alcock and Sergeant Raymond Hughes are among those found in that inglorious group of alleged traitors, for all three men betrayed their colleagues and the nation. The trio assisted the Nazi regime in making radio broadcasts, or even joining the British Frei Korps, a unit of the dreaded SS. One gave information about the Monica radar system to the Luftwaffe, and others got fellow prisoners to divulge information on fake Red Cross forms.Other prisoners such as Flight Lieutenant Julius Zuromski and Squadron Leader Robert George Carpenter also came under suspicion when reports began to arrive at MI9 in London. Inquiries were subsequently undertaken by the RAF Special Investigation Branch and MI5 - investigations that would ultimately lead to the imprisonment of some and the release of others.What these men did and why some were prosecuted, and others were released without charge, is examined by the author. Why one man in particular, an ardent Nazi and traitor, was not sentenced to death, having liaised with the likes of the infamous William Joyce, also known as 'Lord Haw Haw', and even Josef Goebbels, is a mystery to this day.Sadly, not all our aviators were heroes. But there has long been debate that some of them might have actually been working for the Security Services. So, were these men traitors who collaborated with Hitler's Third Reich, or agents working for the British State?

A remarkable read, detailed, hour-to-hour and 'immediate' account of action, a personal but modest story, and the author and shipmates of all ranks come to life. There are excellent accounts of training, action-stations, gunnery, tactics ad strategy, officer- and ratings- relationships, and leadership, and all told in objective and authentic, and readable language. This is no 'gung-ho' account but sober and serious history with full grasp of tactics and strategy. It shows how capital ships - battleships, battle-cruisers, heavy cruisers - are vulnerable to U-Boat and E-Boat attack while 'little ships', destroyers, light cruisers and frigates, are at sea constantly and protecting convoys. The account is from personal experience of service on the strategic position of England's East Coast and North Sea, with fear of German naval power, E-Boats and U-Boats, and the value early radar. There are graphic accounts of sea conditions, moving picture of a merchant captain and loss of ship, plus vital importance of mine-sweeping. Readers might be shocked by German battleships in the English Channel and quotes from German sources. There is a powerful account of the naval role at 'action-stations' of the Allies-Axis war-effort and encounters with top commanders, naval and military, and Mediterranean campaign of Admiral Cunningham - and invasion of Sicily and Italy, and Normandy D-Day preparation.

From the mid-sixteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, Barbary corsairs from North Africa swarmed the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, seizing enormous amounts of booty and tens of thousands of captives, hauling them back to the slave markets in their home ports and auctioning them off to the highest bidder. The conflict between these Barbary corsairs and Europe was military, but not just that; religious, but not just that; social and economic, but not just that either. Above all, it was a human conflict, with all the confusion, blurred lines, and inherent messiness of such things, and the narratives it generated were more complicated than simple swashbuckling pirate tales. _Corsairs & Captives_ presents a collection of these narratives, all based directly on primary-source documents, a number of which are translated into English for the first time. They include biographies of four renegade corsair captains (Europeans who converted to Islam and became corsairs), descriptions of sea battles by those who were there, accounts of ransomed captives, the report of a French Trinitarian friar who led a ransoming expedition to Algiers, even the transcript of a trial held by the Canary Islands chapter of the (in)famous Spanish Inquisition. These narratives bring to life a world much rougher than our own but no less complicated, in which people with the ordinary human fears and aspirations we are familiar with today struggled to endure. It is not the world most people expect when they think of Barbary corsairs. It is more interesting than that.

It could happen in your town, in your street or on your doorstep. Would you watch and try to help or would you run?Set in a rural village in North Yorkshire criminal associates from John Duffield's distant past seek recompense for his neglected debts. Duffield is brutally murdered which is witnessed by innocent bystander, Kate. The hunt begins for Kate as the criminal group attempts to eliminate her in order to protect themselves. A police enquiry team investigates Duffield's death and DI Rachel Barnes is called upon to rise to the challenge of protecting Kate, in a game of strategy, where lives hang in the balance and mistakes are harshly punished.

Winston Churchill is handed down the generations, reinvented in the process to suit current controversies. He has been many things: presently a talisman of the political right, a war-hero of conservative outlook who saved his country; on the left, he is a reactionary imperialist, a warmongering oppressor of the workers. Both sides would be surprised by a time trip to the sensation-filled years of 1910 and 1911. They would find a modernist progressive, cordially loathed by the Tories, carrying through programs of social reform and making the prison system more humane: declaring to Parliament that even convicted offenders have rights and that how a state treats them determines the level of its civilization. A long-serving Permanent Under-Secretary at the Home Office reckoned that Churchill's policies (which his successors continued) halved the prison population. During the last third of the twentieth century and into the next, rehabilitation has gone into reverse. Prison numbers have soared, as the punitive approach has reasserted itself, now laced with political populism. This book looks at that story in the context of the paradoxical career of Churchill the Liberal Reformer.

The Brienne/Beaumonts, a noble family originally from Champagne, spread across Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean in the Middle Ages. Their story begins with John de Brienne (c. 1175/78-1237), who was the emperor of Constantinople, became king of Jerusalem by marriage, and claimed the throne of a kingdom in modern-day Turkey called Armenian Cilicia. His life, his children and his grandchildrenâEUR(TM)s lives were remarkably international. His daughters were born in Italy and what is now Lebanon; one of his sons, who grew up in Constantinople, France and Spain, was the stepfather of the king of Scotland; one of his grandchildren was the king of Germany, Italy and Sicily; and several other grandchildren settled in England, where one married a Scottish heiress and was the great-grandfather of a king of England and an English-born queen of Portugal. The Beaumonts tells the story of the places where the Brienne/Beaumont family settled and held influence between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. It begins in the Crusader states and moves to the Latin Empire of Constantinople, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, France, Scotland, and England.

How did ordinary citizens become soldiers during the First World War, and how did they cope with the extraordinary challenges they confronted on the Western Front? These are questions Ian Isherwood seeks to answer in this absorbing and deeply researched study of the actions and experiences of an infantry battalion throughout the conflict. His work gives us a vivid impression of the reality of war for these volunteers and an insight into the motivation that kept them fighting. The narrative traces the history of the 8th Battalion The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), a Kitchener battalion raised in 1914\. The letters, memoirs and diaries of the men of the battalion, in particular the correspondence of their commanding officer, reveal in fascinating detail what wartime life was like for this group of men. It includes vivid accounts of the major battles in which they were involved - Loos, the Somme, Passchendaele, the German Spring Offensive, and the final 100 Days campaign. The battalion took heavy losses, yet those who survived continued to fight and took great pride in their service, an attitude that is at odds with much of the popular perception of the Great War. Ian Isherwood brings in the latest research on military thinking and learning, on emotional resilience, and cultural history to tell their story.

The watery, heavily vegetated marshlands of the Mekong Delta served as a formidable natural defense for Viet Cong units in the region, and the waterways served as the transportation corridor for Communist forces.. The Mobile Riverine Force formed the bulk of what came to be known as the Brown Water Navy, and was key to American efforts in the region. Elsewhere in Vietnam, dense jungle growth also presented barriers for rapid movement of allied troops, resulting in helicopters taking increasingly important roles with the military, serving as troop transports, cargo carriers, medical evacuation units, and even aerial gunships.

Ancient accounts of battle often neglected the role of lightly-armed infantry, presenting the deeds of the heavy infantry, such as Greek hoplites or Roman legionaries, or dashing cavalry charges as the decisive battle winners. This bias was partly due to the light infantry typically being drawn from the poorer sections of society, who could not afford to equip themselves with armour and because they generally fought from a distance, killing from afar with missile weapons, not bravely face-to-face like heroes worthy of recording. Modern research has generally followed this bias. Dr Jean Charl Du Plessis argues that while light infantry might have had a subordinate role in pitched battles, such clashes were relatively rare occurrences. Most ancient campaigns consisted mostly of foraging, raiding and pillaging of enemy territory, minor skirmishes and ambushes, all roles in which light infantry excelled. In particular they were indispensable for an army traversing mountainous or forested terrain. Moreover, he shows that even in pitched battles they were far from useless and made a valuable contribution, typically harassing the enemy as they deployed and screening friendly battle lines from similar treatment. Some, such as Cretan archers or Balearic slingers were highly sought-after specialists. Uniquely, the author draws on years of practical experimentation to demonstrate and test the various weapons used: slings, bows and javelins, including the use of the amentum throwing strap. This yields fresh evidence and insights into matters such as range, penetrative power and the level of skill and practice required. Overall, this is a valuable study of these forgotten heroes of ancient warfare.

Jane AustenâEUR(TM)s novels are read all over the globe, and adaptations of her works have graced both film and TV screens. Although sometimes criticised for being detached from the real world, providing nothing more than light-hearted plot-driven story lines, the reality is very different. Jane was aware of the evils of society, of the problems faced by women whether single or married. Underneath the entertaining story lines are much darker aspects of Regency and Georgian life. Staying single resulted in serious problems for young women; there were very few alternatives open to them, while marriage itself resulted in other risks. The threats of poverty or becoming a victim of crime were also an issue. Indeed, JaneâEUR(TM)s aunt spent months in prison and faced the threat of transportation for theft. Other problems society faced included those posed by opium addiction, poor medical standards, and a lack of property leaving young men and women struggling to survive. Many sought solutions in India, leading to the creation of âEUR¿fishing fleetsâEUR(TM) with girls sent to marry total unknowns. Meanwhile, the issues of slavery brought more problems, and social disorder was rife. Jane Austen created classic stories that have endured the test of time, reflecting society in all its aspects, faults, values both good and bad. This is Jane Austen as you have never seen her before.

In the Summer of 1972, 14-year-old Judith Roberts took off for a bike ride within the vicinity of her Staffordshire home. Her body was discovered after a three-day manhunt, concealed from view in a thick privet having been brutally attacked. The community of Tamworth was rocked by the news of her death and an outcry for justice ensued. Within weeks of her murder, an impressionable and troubled soldier, based in the nearby barracks, 17-year-old Andrew Evans, walked into a police station and confessed to the killing. Relentlessly interviewed for hours on end without representation or an appropriate adult present, Andrew was swiftly charged with Judith's murder. Despite attempting to recount his statement and a legal defence at trial that defied the prosecution's arguments that Andrew Evans was guilty, a judge sentenced him to life behind bars. He was eventually acquitted in 1997 in what was, at the time, Britain's longest miscarriage of justice. While Andrew Evans fought for his freedom, another man drove up and down England undetected: Peter William Sutcliffe. Eventually proven capable of inflicting unimaginable horror at any given opportunity, an independent inquiry dubbed him likely responsible for more murders than the 13 he was convicted of and the seven others he attempted between 1975 and 1980. In _The Murder of Judith Roberts_, Chris Clark and Tanita Matthews examine evidence that concludes that Sutcliffe, whose violent criminal history dates back as far as 1969, was the real culprit responsible for Judith's murder. With never before-published dialogue from Andrew Evans' police interviews showing the grave miscarriage of justice, the case file of the five-decade cold case is examined under a new light.

Models of sailing ships, with their towering masts and billowing sails, have always held a special fascination for model makers because they capture all the romance of the sea, shipboard life, and a fighting spirit. However, many would-be modellers are discouraged by the inherent complexity of the subject - especially the masts and rigging, as well as the often-sumptuous decoration. Plastic kit manufacturers were quick to capitalise on this interest and produced kits that were advertised as easy and reasonably quick to assemble, featuring ready-made detail that is easily tackled by modellers of varying skills and ages with the promise of a good result. Plastic sailing ship kits are affordable, especially in comparison to wooden ship kits, and building a fleet of the most famous ships in history is easily achieved. Despite their ease of assembly, plastic models of sailing ships, like the ships themselves, remain complicated to build. Manufacturers devised several simplifications of the most difficult aspects, such as moulding the lower, upper, and topmasts in one piece, offering preformed moulded plastic shrouds and ratlines, or sails in vacuum-formed plastic. However, modellers have long complained that these simplifications, the physical limitations of injected plastic mouldings, and the very medium of styrene plastic itself have resulted in often crudely detailed and unrealistic finished models. This book is the remedy. It describes and demonstrates techniques unique to plastic sailing ship models that overcome these limitations, allowing the construction of authentic and personally satisfying models. Each modeller has a different expectation for their model. Some will want a simple build with some straightforward refinements, whereas others will want a more detailed build that takes advantage of the many new aftermarket items, and there are those who seek the most accurate and detailed replica possible. _Sailing Ships from Plastic Kits_ aims to give every modeller - regardless of skill and experience - a range of fundamental and advanced techniques to choose from when transforming a plastic kit into an authentic sailing ship model. Heavily illustrated in colour throughout, this book is an ideal addition to the purchase of any plastic ship kit.

This is a pulsating account of the young RAF fighter boys who flew Spitfires, Hurricanes and Defiants in England against the Luftwaffe and from Malta 1940-45 against the Regia Aeronautica. Their story is told using combat reports and first person accounts from RAF, German and Commonwealth pilots who fought in the skies in France in 1940, in England during the Battle of Britain, and in the great air offensives over Occupied Europe from 1942 onwards. Chapters include the stories of Wing Commander D. R. S. Bader, Wing Commander Adolph Gysbert Sailor Malan, Oberleutnant Ulrich Steinhilper, Flight Lieutenant H. M. Stephen, Squadron Leader Robert Stanford Tuck, Johnny Johnson, Squadron Leader M. N. Crossley, Squadron Leader A. McKellar, Cowboy Blatchford and Squadron Leader D. H. Smith, an Australian veteran of the Battle of Malta and many others whose names have now become legendary.

In this new study, Jan Gore assesses the success of the V1 campaign. The background to the development of the V1 will be examined, from the initial references to a mystery weapon to the gradual realisation by the British that the Germans were planning both a flying bomb (V1) and a long range rocket (V2). Once the first V1 sites were identified, the British began a strategic bombing campaign, later joined by the Americans. However, as the Normandy landings became imminent in June 1944, Hitler realised he had nothing to lose by delaying his vengeance attacks. A week after D-Day, the first V1s began to reach England. The attacks swiftly intensified. It was a very different campaign from those before. The pilotless planes could be produced cheaply and there was no need to put expensively-trained pilots at risk. The planes could be launched by day or night, whatever the weather. They were true terror weapons, as the first-hand accounts of those who lived through the attacks make clear; there was very little notice that a doodlebug explosion was imminent and so it was almost impossible to take cover. The book describes the first weekend of the attacks with the bombing of the GuardsâEUR(TM) Chapel, the evacuation programme which followed, and the UK's defence strategies. It goes on to discuss the second phase of the attacks, including the planned bombing of Manchester, and the third phase of the campaign, where V1s were ground-launched from the Netherlands.

London has seen many scientific discoveries and engineering feats in its history. Scientists have made their home and studied in the metropolis, while the city is a hub for medical and scientific collections displayed in quirky and engaging museums. From Michael Faraday to Rosalind Franklin and William Harvey, LondonâEUR(TM)s scientists have inspired people to find out more, study, and innovate. This book takes you on an area by area journey through London to discover places and people associated with science, and even see and experience scientific phenomena. From museums and bars associated with science, and behind the scenes engineering tours, scientific genius is all over the city. Each statue and plaque has a story behind it, waiting to be discovered. This unique book can be used as a guidebook on a physical journey through London, or as a collection of intriguing and often obscure stories and information for science lovers to enjoy wherever they are. Whether you are an aspiring scientist, are home schooling, attending a conference in London, or simply love science, this book has ideas to inspire you.

The greatest danger to Roman Emperors was the threat of deadly conspiracies arising among the Senate, the Imperial Court or even their own families All the emperors that reigned from Augustus to the end of the 1st century AD faced such efforts to overthrow or assassinate them. John McHugh uncovers these conspiracies, narrating them and seeking to explain them. The underlying cause in many cases was the decline in influence, patronage and status granted by emperors to the Senatorial class, leading some to seek power for themselves or a more generous candidate. Attempted assassinations or coups led the Emperors to be mistrust the senate and rely more on freedmen, causing more resentment. Paranoid emperors often reacted to the merest hint of treason, real or imagined, with punishments and executions, leading more of those around them to consider desperate measures out of self-preservation. And of course, amid this vicious circle of poisonous mistrust, there were ambitious family members promoting their own (or their offspringâEUR(TM)s) claims to the purple, and the duplicitous Praetorian Guard. John McHugh brings to light a century of assassination, conspiracy and betrayal, exploring the motives and aims of the plotters and the bloody cost of success or failure.

The Napier family are famous for their military exploits in the Peninsular War. Charles served in the 50th and 102nd Foot, George in the 52nd and 71st Foot and William (the famous historian of the Peninsular War) who served with the 43rd Foot. Two or three of them were always serving in the Peninsula at any given time and all suffered a number of severe wounds. William has a basic biography written of him and his famous _History of the Peninsular War_ is littered with his personal and professional prejudices; Charles wrote a form of autobiography, mostly dealing with his later India campaigns; and virtually nothing has been written on poor George, despite the fact that he commanded the storming party at Ciudad Rodrigo, where he was severely wounded. However, much of this writing emanates from decades after they fought, when memories and changing political attitudes had clearly affected their writing. _At War With Wellington_ focuses on their private letters penned immediately from the front, without that dreaded hindsight. They are packed with detail of the horrors of battle and siege warfare, but also show life in the Army, the close bond between the three brothers while serving close to each other in action and also with their mother at home, who clearly had constant fears that her three boys would never come home again. All three did survive but were all badly maimed during this war. Their individual exploits are legion, but no one has ever brought all of this material together in one book, until now. Between them, they participated in almost every action in the six-year war and two of them participated in the Army of Occupation in France from 1815-18, although none were at the Battle of Waterloo. Their close relationships with many senior officers of the period, gives a rare glimpse into the thinking of the generals and helps us understand how the decisions were made and with what information they were formed. Being also politically active, it is fascinating to hear their views on both political matters at home and the Allied cause against France. This material is both absorbing and revealing. It adds much to our understanding, primarily of the NapierâEUR(TM)s themselves, but also the effects of a world war on the family dynamics, the political upheavals surrounding it, the failures of the Allied campaigns and even the perceived failings of the senior officers in their promotion of the war effort, which are expressed vehemently. _At War With Wellington_ opens a window onto a different view of the war, from very experienced soldiers, but with very different political leanings, and will cause readers to question some of their long-held views.

In this unprecedented series exploring the big story of the Battle of Britain, renowned historian Dilip Sarkar investigates the wider context and intimate details of the epic aerial conflict in the summer of 1940 from all sides. In so doing, he gives due acknowledgement to the roles of Bomber and Coastal Commands in addition to the fabled Few of Fighter Command. This unique narrative draws upon a lifetime of research, the author having enjoyed a long relationship with survivors and the relatives of casualties; his innumerable interviews and first-hand accounts collated, in addition to privileged access to personal papers, providing essential human interest to this inspirational story. In this the fourth volume, _Battle of Britain: Airfields Under Attack_, Dilip continues to examine the fighting on a day-by-day, combat-by-combat basis from 19 August until 6 September 1940\. It is a period in which we saw the LuftwaffeâEUR(TM)s bombing of the all-important 11 Group airfields intensify, culminating in âEUR¿The Hardest DayâEUR(TM) of 18 August 1940, which saw both sides lose more aircraft than any other day throughout the whole Battle of Britain. The tensions and problems between Fighter CommandâEUR(TM)s 11 and 12 Groups also intensified. It was a situation that eventually led to Squadron Leader Douglas Bader criticising Fighter Command tactics, proposing the use of âEUR¿Big WingsâEUR(TM), contrary to the System of Air Defence and strategy involved, gaining the support of his 12 Group commander, Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory. Given its later significance, this is investigated in depth. Through diligent research, combined with crucial official primary sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often challenging the accepted narrative. This is not simply another dull record of combat losses and claims âEUR" far from it. Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of combatants and eyewitnesses, along with Daily Home Intelligence Reports and numerous other primary sources, this book forms part of what is likely to be the first and last such comprehensively woven account of this epic air battle.

There are plenty of ways to delve into the history of a city like London, but itâEUR(TM)s not often done through the world of the motor car. But thatâEUR(TM)s exactly what Chris Randall has done, exploring the links between the capital and its automotive past. That makes this book a somewhat unique approach to the subject, and readers will discover a fascinating history that involves some of the most famous names in motoring. Enthusiasts will certainly recognise the likes of Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce but amongst those are names that might be less familiar today. The buildings that youâEUR(TM)ll find within this book all exist today, which means you can see the motoring history for yourself. Some are now famous restaurants, others are offices and a few are private homes, but what they all have in common is the automobile and for those that love all things four-wheeled there are some real treasures to be found. Illustrated with photographs that show you what those places look like today, along with how some of them appeared in their motoring heyday, this is a very different look at the history of the famous city. ItâEUR(TM)s played a part in the very earliest days of the automobileâEUR(TM)s story, and thatâEUR(TM)s something this books sets out to celebrate.

Innocent, guilty, coerced, framed. These are the stories of dozens of women who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Whether innocent or not, these women were all indicted for murder of some sort; most of them ended up facing execution. From BritainâEUR(TM)s late medieval period through the following 600 years, this book explores the world of murderous female crime and pulls you in to the lives of these women. It situates their stories on the timeline of British crime and relates their terrible deeds to the criminal world and proceedings of the times they lived in. Enjoy this glimpse into the history of BritainâEUR(TM)s criminal underbelly and the women within it, who showed what desperation, lack of mental health support, and cruelty, could lead to.

In 2019 it was announced that the Isle of Wight's iconic 1938 Stock tube trains were to be withdrawn and replaced with a 'new' fleet of refurbished ex-London Underground trains, as part of a wider project to upgrade the Island's ageing railway infrastructure. This book examines in detail the events that followed: the infrastructure works, the withdrawal and disposal of the old trains, and the development and introduction of their replacements - all of it carried out in the midst of a global pandemic. What went wrong, and what went right? What would happen to the 1938 Stock? And would the new trains even fit through Ryde Tunnel...?In writing this book the author has been able to draw upon unique insights provided by some of the key figures involved in the Island Line upgrade, as well as by the current owners of many of the withdrawn 1938 Stock units.