"The Secret History of Southend" is filled with hundreds of little-known facts and historical anecdotes. From the arrival of the "Brides in the Bath" murderer to the famous mountaineer who liked to live at the top of his building, this book will amuse, fascinate, and inform all lovers of the area. Southend may not be an ancient town, but it is the largest in Essex and has a history that may surprise residents and visitors alike. This delightful book delves deeper, bringing history and landscape to life.

You won't be familiar with every one of the huge array of women featured in these pages, but all, familiar or not, leave unanswered questions behind them. The range is extensive, as was the research, with its insight into the lives and minds of women in different centuries, different countries, with diverse cultures and backgrounds, from the poverty stricken to royalty. Mistresses, murderers, smugglers, pirates, prostitutes and fanatics with hearts and souls that feature every shade of black (and grey ). From Cleopatra to Ruth Ellis, from Boudicca to Bonnie Parker, from Lady Caroline Lamb to...

A colourful and engaging history of London's East End