Amberley Publishing strana 15 z 20

Manchester is steeped in railway history going back almost 200 years to the opening of Liverpool Road station in September 1830. The line from Liverpool was widely regarded as the first ever inter-city railway in the world. The railway network around the city greatly expanded in the second half of the nineteenth century with new lines opening to the surrounding Lancashire towns and beyond. At one time the city also supported an extensive dock railway system based around the Manchester Ship Canal and Salford Docks.Manchester’s current rail network sees lines radiating out from all points of the compass and with 262 km of route mileage it boasts the largest provincial railway network outside of London. A number of groundbreaking schemes have been implemented in recent years which have radically changed the pattern of service operations across the city. These have included the Hazel Grove Chord, the Windsor Link, the Airport Extension and the Ordsall Chord. Manchester also had the largest new tram system in the UK in 2023 with nine lines operated by a uniform fleet of 147 Bombardier-built trams.This book is packed with information about the workings of the city’s railways going back as far as the final years of the steam age.

Harald Hardrada had a career that spanned much of the known world of the eleventh century. Here was a man who was born in Norway, was exiled to Russia, spent time as a mercenary leader in Constantinople, journeyed to Jerusalem and won military campaigns in Sicily. In later life he became king of Norway, but this was not enough for him. For years he fought a series of campaigns to try and add Denmark to his dominions before launching an attempt to conquer England.Harald ultimately died a Viking death at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, though in the process he might have sealed the fate of his opponent, King Harold Godwinson of England just a few weeks later at Hastings. This is a remarkable story, told in part through archaeology and in part through chronicles and Viking sagas. Harald might be considered the last Viking, but whether or not this is the case, what cannot be denied is that this is the story of a life that opens a window into a world that is long past, one characterised by epic deeds, chicanery and incredible adventure.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Victorian icon, engineer, artist, architect, designer and visionary, entrepreneur and celebrity. His astounding feats changed the British landscape, and this new book tells the story of his awe-inspiring achievements and innovations as a railway engineer.New to the developing world of railways in the early 1830s, Brunel soon came to rival George and Robert Stephenson, as he embarked on what he called ‘the finest work in England’. The construction of the Great Western Railway, arguably the most revolutionary of British railways, opened in 1841.Tim Bryan, Director of the Brunel Institute at the SS Great Britain, chronicles how, in almost thirty tumultuous years, Brunel created a rail network covering much of the South and West of England, the Midlands and Wales. The network included masterpieces like Paddington Station and the Royal Albert Bridge and still carries millions of travellers today.The book also describes how Brunel’s successes were matched by ‘monumental failures’ – the ill-fated atmospheric system used on the South Devon Railway, and the far-reaching implications of the broad gauge for his railways, which ultimately cost millions of pounds when abolished.Iron, Stone and Steam is also the story of the great engineer’s complex character and the roles of the people who helped the creative, and sometimes dictatorial, genius create his railway. These range from the navvies who built his bridges, tunnels and lines, to contemporaries like Daniel Gooch, without whom his vision would never have been fully realised. Above all, this is the story of Brunel’s vision to create a railway empire like no other.

Taunton’s history goes back to Anglo-Saxon times, when it was an important burh and the site of a monastery. The manor was owned by the bishops of Winchester and in the thirteenth century the borough of Taunton became the county town of Somerset. The town and its castle were fought over in the Civil War, changing hands several times, and it was also in Taunton that the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself king in his rebellion in 1685. Judge Jeffreys held a session of the Bloody Assizes in Taunton Castle following the crushing of the rebellion. Taunton entered a period of prosperity in the Georgian era, boosted in the next century by the arrival of the canal system and the railways. Industry came into the town, mainly along the river. Housing increased, and so did the need for infrastructure and the Shire Hall, courts, churches, hospitals, schools and leisure facilities were built, including today’s Brewhouse Theatre and County Cricket Ground. Taunton was granted the status of a Garden Town in 2017 and plans are evolving to extend its housing and develop its spaces into a town fit for the twenty-first century.Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Taunton has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.

Helmand Province in Afghanistan in 2008 was the most dangerous place on earth. George McCafferty of Delta Company led 12 Platoon Delta Company, 5 SCOTS through the fighting season. He kept a diary. For some of that period Ross Kemp went out with the platoon to film and report for Sky News.‘“Ross, What’s wrong with this picture?” I asked him. He knotted his eyebrows and looked around. “No civvies!” he exclaimed. He was absolutely right, not only were there no visible signs of life but there was also no noise, no call to prayer.’The Little Men tells the real story of Operation Herrick 8, unvarnished, from the point of view not of generals or politicians, but the poor bloody infantry. It is full of details that only such a source can provide: ‘I looked at Scotty McGregor, my little Gimpy gunner. He was five foot nothing and if he rested the butt of the 7.62mm machine gun on the floor, the gun was nearly as tall as he was. In his patrol pack he carried eight hundred rounds of 7.62mm ammo and a spare barrel. I had chosen him as a Gimpy gunner as he was the best man for the job. He didn’t go crazy with his bursts and was always aware of his fall of shot, so he never came close to running out of ammo.’Courage, loyalty to one another, sacrifice. Was it all worth it? That’s still to be determined ? but whatever the answer, the effort should never be forgotten.

Saxon settlers and Viking invaders defined the early settlement of Formby on the coast of north-west England. The manors that made up the town and small port lived through the Norman Conquest and the Black Death, and it is here that the country’s first lifeboat station was set up, on its beach. But it was the coming of the railways in the nineteenth century that transformed the area, with easy access to Liverpool and new businesses attracted to the town, with large areas of housing built as a result. Today, Formby lies in Merseyside and is a commuter town for Southport and Liverpool and other towns in the conurbation. Many visitors are attracted to its beaches, sand dunes and nature reserves, which are still home to the now rare red squirrel and natterjack toad.Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Formby has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.

Ferrari have the distinction of being the only manufacturer to have competed throughout the history of Formula 1. The company’s early Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars first appeared at the Italian Grand Prix in September 1948. It was these cars, particularly in 1950 and 1951, that really brought the name Ferrari to the attention of the general public by competing at the very pinnacle of motor racing, the Formula 1 World Championship. During the Second World War, Enzo Ferrari had a factory in Maranello making grinding machines, but he had a burning ambition – to dominate international motor racing. Within two years, his workforce had produced the company’s first sports car and in 1948 Ferrari presented his first single-seater F1 cars to the world. By 1951, his new 4.5-litre F1 cars were beating his old nemesis, Alfa Romeo, on their way to winning the World Championship in 1952 and 1953.John Starkey tells the story of those early years as Ferrari struggled to overcome many obstacles to win the new World Championship. Featuring rare archive photographs, this is an indispensable guide to Ferrari’s first racing cars and the emergence of motor racing as an elite sports phenomenon.

When double-deck motorbuses were first introduced they were all open-top, like the horse buses that preceded them. Roofs were not permitted until the 1920s, but once they were the vagaries of the British climate dictated that they would normally be fitted. However, when the sun did shine, what could be nicer than a trip along the seafront with the sea air in your nostrils and ruffling your hair? Therefore, many seaside towns introduced seasonal open-top services. Many of these towns had their own municipally-owned bus fleets. Elsewhere, the liveries of company fleets such as Southdown, Devon General and Crosville could be found. As the services were seasonal it did not justify buying new vehicles for such work. Instead, older buses nearing the end of their life would be converted. An alternative option from the 1960s was to buy new vehicles fitted with a detachable roof, meaning that the buses could be utilised all year round, with the roof off during the summer and back on at other times. Ordinarily, one would have needed to visit the resorts to photograph these buses, but once a year most of them came together for the annual Epsom Derby horse race in June. The buses would be hired out to bring corporate guests to the racecourse and would then be lined up to act as grandstand viewpoints around the circuit.This book features seaside open-top buses in operation around England and Wales, starting at Southend-on-Sea and then working clockwise around the coast. Views at the Epsom Derby and some of the vehicles that have entered preservation are also featured.

Centuries Will Not Suffice explores how different people responded to the Lithuanian Holocaust and the roles that they played. It considers the past history of the perpetrators and those who took great risks to save Jews, as well as describing the experiences of many who were caught up in the maelstrom.Unlike the figures at the top of the Nazi hierarchy, the men who were responsible for these killings have been largely forgotten. Karl Jäger was a senior SS figure who was in charge of the units that carried out most of them. He complained that his experiences caused him to suffer nightmares but continued to order his units to carry on and refused offers of sick leave on the grounds that he regarded it as his duty to remain in his post. He took refuge in compiling painstakingly detailed reports of the killings, listing the numbers executed at every location and breaking them down into men, women and children. The roles played by other figures, from Himmler and Heydrich at the summit, through the ranks of men down to Martin Weiss and Bruno Kittel who were personally responsible for carrying out Nazi policies, are all described.Before the German invasion of Lithuania, two diplomats – Chiune Sugihara from Japan and Jan Zwartendijk from the Netherlands – recognised the great danger that lay ahead for the Jews of the Baltic region and did what they could to help them escape. Karl Plagge, a major in the army, did all he could to save Jews. What perhaps make the terrible story of the Baltic genocide unique is that the Nazi regime was able to rely upon collaboration by convincing the populace that the Soviet invasion of the area was the responsibility of the Jews.

At a time when interest in Grand Prix racing has never been greater in the United States, this book looks back at the heyday, when American drivers often dominated the grid. Each chapter covers the achievements of American F1 championship winners such as Phil Hill, who won the F1 Championship for Ferrari in 1961, and Mario Andretti, who became world champion in 1978 for Lotus. Other leading American drivers who in their different ways played a significant part in F1 racing, including Masten Gregory and Eddie Cheever, are also featured.In-depth biographies of the drivers and detailed descriptions of the F1 cars they drove are accompanied by exclusive period photography, making this book an essential guide for all F1 enthusiasts.

The Ford Fiesta has been one of the most successful superminis and one of Britain’s most popular cars for decades. First launched in 1976, the Fiesta was styled as a front-wheel-drive ‘world car’ that was Ford’s answer to the successful Renault 5 and Fiat 127. As this book shows, the Fiesta went from strength to strength, establishing itself as the ubiquitous second car, student’s car and learner’s car. In this readable book, motoring expert Mark Bradbury explores the design and development of the Fiesta as Ford sought to produce a small car for the modern city driver. He details the launch and reception by the public and motoring press and the production of the now classic early models as well as the very last. Also featured are the sporty Fiestas, including the RS and turbo versions and derivatives and variants, as well as the vans, the Ka and the Puma. Bringing the story right up to date with the latest models, the book reflects on the legacy of the Fiesta as it reached the end of its production.Packed with fascinating insights and accompanied by a full range of illustrations, this is a concise and complete guide to this highly regarded and much-loved car.

On 4 November 1501, a fifteen-year-old girl arrived in England to marry the fifteen-year-old prince of that kingdom. Their parents, especially the boy’s, hoped that the marriage would secure the future of their family on the throne. Much excitement surrounded the safe arrival of Katharine of Aragon from Spain to England. She and her husband-to-be, Arthur Tudor, were engaged years before and spent their time exchanging letters in Latin, the only common language they shared.Katharine of Aragon has of course always been a fascinating historical figure as the first wife of the infamous Henry VIII. This book provides a new perspective on Katharine because it includes far more background on her Spanish upbringing and her Spanish culture, and how that continued to define her in England. Heather Darsie uses rich primary sources, such as the anonymous Receyt of Ladie Kateryne, which have been infrequently referenced in other biographies. In this, Heather’s multilingual abilities – especially her fluent Spanish – are put to good use.No one, for example, has considered the rippling impact of terminating Katharine’s marriage on the Trastamara and Habsburg dynasties in Europe. Katherine was as important abroad as she was in England. Her mother Isabella was a usurper and so was Henry VII; their attempts to ‘legitimise’ each other are examined here for the first time.How relevant to the history of England is Katherine’s Spanish background? Her daughter is Mary I.

The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were decades of great change. Many towns and cities were redeveloped with projects that dramatically affected the character of the place. People’s shopping habits were altered as supermarkets took over from traditional stores and corner shops. Leisure habits were changing too, as cheap air travel led to the arrival of the foreign package holiday and a new range of leisure facilities were developed at home. Fashions, as ever, were changing in this period, reflecting radical changes in society and the ways in which we viewed ourselves. Transport also evolved, with a move away from the railway and buses, creating a strain on the roads and leading to new road schemes.These changes in people’s habits and lifestyles were keenly felt in Scotland’s capital as the city grew in size. Old and dilapidated housing was demolished, to be replaced by new housing estates; other areas were redeveloped and new shopping centres were built, universities were expanding and many long-established pastimes and activities, cultural centres and places of leisure were evolving. Local author Jack Gillon recaptures it all in this fascinating portrayal of the city and its people over the course of these most nostalgic decades.

Police vehicles have always been an essential part of protecting law and order in the United Kingdom. Whether responding to emergency incidents, stopping fleeing motorists or providing protection to the public in the most hostile of situations, the country’s police forces have a wide variety of assets at their disposal. Beyond the commonly seen neighbourhood patrol vehicles are many specialist resources, including fast traffic vehicles, armed response teams, mounted units for transporting police horses, marine support units for patrolling on the water and the provision of air support from above delivered by aircraft, helicopters and drones. Since 2000, much has changed: vehicle manufacturers have come and gone, police vehicle liveries have almost universally adopted the blue and yellow ‘Battenburg’ scheme, and as environmental considerations come to the fore, police forces have assessed and incorporated both hybrid and all-electric vehicles into their fleets.John Godwin presents a fascinating insight into police vehicles over the last twenty-five years, including examples from many of the forty-five Territorial Police Forces of the UK, the three Specialist Police Forces, Parks Police, Ports Police and several others.

Reliant have long been famous for their three-wheeled cars. Television personalities such as comedian Jasper Carrot and journalist Jeremy Clarkson have relentlessly mocked the three-wheeler, this forming a large part of their repertoires. Only Fools and Horses made them famous to a whole generation of television comedy viewers. Yet behind these three-wheeled cars lay a world of four-wheeled cars – versions of the famous three-wheelers as well as larger sporting and sports cars. They provided ready-made indigenous car industries to Israel and Turkey and would be involved with the Metrocab, the only serious contender to replace the London black cab. Alongside all this they would provide sub-assemblies and bodywork for other manufacturers. The most notable Reliant four-wheeler was the Scimitar, which maintains a strong cult following to this day. This book puts these once popular four-wheeled cars back in the public eye where they belong, and shows there was much more to Reliant than quaint three-wheeled vehicles.

The Allied effort to secure the Italian island of Sicily followed hard on the heels of the North African Campaign, when an Anglo-American force had finally hemmed the Axis forces into Tunisia where they were obliged to surrender on 13 May 1943, over a quarter of a million troops going into captivity. Now, intending to open the sea lanes across the Mediterranean for the first time since 1940 and knock Italy out of the war, the Allies invaded Sicily on the night of 9-10 July 1943. After just eight weeks of planning and preparation, sea and airborne landings were made on the southern and south-eastern areas of the island. The campaign that followed included a further British airborne landing in mid-July before Axis forces were obliged to withdraw across the Straits of Messina to the Italian mainland, leaving Sicily in Allied hands. The six weeks of fighting cost the Allied forces almost 20,000 men killed, wounded and missing, while their opponents lost around 100,000, with a further 123,000 prisoners, mostly Italian.The Sicily Campaign was the first occasion that Allied forces successfully took the fight onto the home territory of an Axis power, and it provided the springboard for the Allied return to continental Europe for the first time since Dunkirk via the invasion of the Italian mainland. It marked the beginning of formal Anglo-US co-operation, which was to be vital to the success of the subsequent campaign in North-West Europe.