Coal heated the homes, fuelled the furnaces and powered the engines of the Industrial Revolution. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the coalfields - distinct landscapes of colliery winding frames, slag heaps and mining villages - made up Britain's industrial heartlands. Coal was known as 'black gold' but it was only brought to the surface with skill and at considerable risk, with flooding, rock falls and gas explosions a constant danger. Coal miners became a recognised force in British political life, forming a vociferous and often militant lobby for better working conditions and a...
Coal heated the homes, fuelled the furnaces and powered the engines of the Industrial Revolution. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the coalfi...
In the 1950s and 1960s, luxury car buyers, from government ministers to captains of industry, almost invariably bought British. These were stately, dignified, and grand vehicles, with many featuring leather interiors and wood trim. Unfortunately, that market has now largely disappeared and, with it, so have the car-makers themselves.
The book covers cars in the over-3-litre class from the biggest names in British luxury motoring including Alvis, Daimler, and Lagonda, and high-end models from Austin, Rover, and Jaguar. It examines the features and characteristics of these classic...
In the 1950s and 1960s, luxury car buyers, from government ministers to captains of industry, almost invariably bought British. These were stately,...
In the 1950s and 1960s, British sports cars ruled the road, and their charge was led by Triumphs. From the TR2, its first modern sports car, Triumph went on to produce a host of classic sports designs, such as the Spitfire, GT, and Stag, as well as more TR models, before ending with the TR7 in the late 1970s. These represented the epitome of the contemporary classic British sports car.
Fast, nimble, and gorgeous to behold, Triumphs offered the everyday motorist an exhilarating drive at a price they could afford. Popular both in the United Kingdom and the United States, the Triumph...
In the 1950s and 1960s, British sports cars ruled the road, and their charge was led by Triumphs. From the TR2, its first modern sports car, Triump...
A history of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), affectionately known as the Wrens, a branch of the British Royal Navy that served in both world wars. It will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the Royal Navy and the role of women in the military.
A history of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), affectionately known as the Wrens, a branch of the British Royal Navy that served in both world w...
Smuggling was rife in Britain between the seventeenth century and the mid-nineteenth century, and smugglers have come to be highly romanticized as cheeky rogues, cunningly evading heavy taxes imposed by an overbearing government. In reality, many smugglers were prepared to use excessive force as often as they used cunning, and the officers whose job it was to apprehend them were regularly intimidated into inaction. The whole social hierarchy was riddled with those willing or compelled to help smugglers, and many a fortune was built on this illicit trade. Trevor May explains who the smugglers...
Smuggling was rife in Britain between the seventeenth century and the mid-nineteenth century, and smugglers have come to be highly romanticized as che...
Garments and accessories are prominent in almost all of William Shakespeare's plays, from Hamlet and Othello to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night. The statement 'the apparel oft proclaims the man' was one that would have resonated with their audiences: the rise of England's merchant class had made issues of rank central to Elizabethan debate, and a rigid table of sumptuary laws carefully regulated the sorts of fabric and garment worn by the different classes. From the etiquette of courtly dress to the evolution of the Elizabethan ruff, in this vibrant introduction Sarah Jane Downing...
Garments and accessories are prominent in almost all of William Shakespeare's plays, from Hamlet and Othello to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth ...
The very real threat of the invasion of Britain in 1940 initiated a huge military construction program. Around the vulnerable coasts of the country, as well as inland, were built thousands of pillboxes, anti-tank barriers and other obstacles to defeat or delay the invader. The end of WWII saw much cleared away but sufficient still remains, and this book guides the curious in identifying the remaining defensive structures and features which once formed part of the military landscape. Although, to our eyes, the survivals might seem randomly placed, there was always a considered plan and the...
The very real threat of the invasion of Britain in 1940 initiated a huge military construction program. Around the vulnerable coasts of the country, a...
This book explores the history of travelling by stagecoach from the sixteenth century through to the end of the nineteenth century, focusing on the heyday of around 1750-1850. It looks at the improvements in road maintenance and the turnpike system, which made faster travel practical and thereby led to a great increase in the use of stagecoaches, which would shuttle people along main routes from city to city (for example, the Great North Road from London to Edinburgh), stopping only to hitch a new set of horses to the stagecoach at designated refreshment areas. It explains who might travel in...
This book explores the history of travelling by stagecoach from the sixteenth century through to the end of the nineteenth century, focusing on the he...
Few if any cars have achieved the iconic status of Volkswagen's classic, much-loved Beetle. With origins in Nazi Germany, it was rescued post-war by the British and enjoyed a meteoric rise in the late 60s. Volkswagen's Director General, Heinz Nordhoff created a Beetle with the intention to perfect one model of the "people's car" which would endure. And it did with nearly 22 million cars sold worldwide. Author Richard Copping recounts the Beetle's colorful story including the essential role played by legendary maverick ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach who created the "Think Small" campaign.
Few if any cars have achieved the iconic status of Volkswagen's classic, much-loved Beetle. With origins in Nazi Germany, it was rescued post-war by t...
Covered bridges are essential pieces of American and Canadian rural history, gracing the countryside from Oregon to Georgia an north to eastern Canada. In this lavishly illustrated volume Joseph D. Conwill recounts the rich, romantic history of covered bridges as they developed from early timber examples, born out of the traditions of medieval times, into modern structures designed for the motorized traffic of the early twentieth century. Reflecting on the efforts to keep covered bridges in service as the face of the rural landscape is transformed, and the challenge of preserving their...
Covered bridges are essential pieces of American and Canadian rural history, gracing the countryside from Oregon to Georgia an north to eastern Canada...
