Amberley Publishing strana 2 z 3

Colchester is popularly the oldest recorded city in England, dating from before the Roman invasion. Under the Romans, Camulodunum, as it was known, was a major city. Later, Saxon settlers and the Normans used Roman ruins for their buildings, not least for the Norman castle. During the late Middle Ages Colchester became rich again on the wool trade and by the eighteenth century became known as a garrison town. Today, Colchester is at the heart of a fast-growing area and was awarded city status in 2022. A–Z of Colchester reveals the history behind the city, its streets and buildings, industries, and the people connected with it. Alongside the famous historical connections are unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well known. Readers will discover tales of scandal, clockmakers, radicals, the Great British Earthquake of 1883 which destroyed many local buildings, and zedonks in Colchester Zoo, among many other fascinating facts in this A–Z tour of Colchester’s history. Fully illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to all those with an interest in this ancient Essex city.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a family of long-range, mid-size, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliners that can accommodate 242–330 passengers in a typical two-class seating configuration. The airliner features a high degree of technological innovation in design concepts, construction materials and control systems. It is the world’s first major commercial airliner to have a fuselage, wings and tail made from composite materials. The variable camber wings with raked wing tips lead to a high cruising speed and reduced fuel consumption. The airliner makes extensive use of electrical systems in place of many pneumatic components; it has an advanced fly-by-wire control system which automatically optimises the wing’s configuration for maximum efficiency, and new technologies are used for the flight-deck instrumentation. The aircraft is powered by next-generation engines – General Electric GEnx-1B or the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000. Three variants have been built: the initial 787-8, a stretched 787-9 variant and the largest variant, the 787-10. The 787 first entered service with ANA on 26 October 2011. It is now operated worldwide by over seventy airlines including major flag carriers, low-cost long-haul operators and leisure airlines. Nigel Richardson describes the evolution, design and development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with high-quality illustrations and technical information.

Serving the main towns of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and South Bedfordshire and with Green Line routes into Central London, Arriva The Shires had around 350 vehicles by the early 2010s. In 2013, the Milton Keynes fleet was absorbed into The Shires licence, around the same time as a guided busway opened between Luton and Dunstable. Following Arriva’s changes to management and licences, the Hertfordshire operations and garages moved to Kent Thameside in 2016. At the same time, the London-contracted services passed with Watford Garage to Arriva London North, leaving the company to serve south Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It was all change again in 2024 with the closure of Aylesbury and High Wycombe garages, leaving a much-slimmed-down fleet based in Luton and Milton Keynes on the Shires licence.With 180 colour images and informative captions, Gary Seamarks details the vehicles operated over the last twenty-five years, many of which have cascaded in from the Midlands fleet, along with new rolling stock for use on the Luton Busway and the Green Line 757 between Luton and its airport into Central London.

The city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the towns and villages of North Tyneside, including Wallsend, North Shields, Killingworth, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay, were important settlements in the mediaeval era but the shipping trade and growing industrialisation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the population in the area increase rapidly. Alongside the ancient churches, many more churches were built to support those communities and today, the churches of both boroughs act as significant historic records of the architecture, cycle of life, and the growth of Christian faith in the region. The churches have become recognized as a part of the landscape. In addition, many visitors are drawn today to the pilgrimage routes that pass through this area, some centred on Newcastle Cathedral.This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Newcastle and North Tyneside over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this part of the country.

Gosport has been associated with the Royal Navy for much of its history. Although the naval presence has been heavily reduced today, a few establishments remain but the town has many reminders of its history as a major naval base on Portsmouth Harbour. The first naval fortifications were built during the reign of King Charles II and further fortifications, training establishments, hospitals, barracks and other buildings were added in subsequent centuries. Many of the buildings have been converted to other uses and the harbour is now a marina.A-Z of Gosport reveals the history behind Gosport, its streets and buildings, businesses, and the people connected with the town. Alongside the famous historical connections, are unusual characters, tucked away places and unique events that are less well-known. Readers will discover tales about the Explosion! Museum, the ‘Gosport Tragedy’ folk song, an enclosed Victorian garden and the scientist who identified a rare genetic disorder among many other fascinating facts in this A-Z tour of Gosport’s history. It is fully illustrated with photography and will appeal to all those with an interest in this town on the Hampshire coast.

Nowadays, with concerns about air quality in our town centres, many new cars, vans and buses are hybrid or fully electric. However, over a century ago zero-emission public transport dominated our towns and cities in the form of electric trams and trolleybuses. Yet, in the post-war era these fell out of favour and were replaced by diesel buses. Now trams have made a comeback in some cities, although trolleybuses no longer operate in Britain. Many examples of trams and trolleybuses have survived into preservation. There are even a handful of specialist museum sites where wiring has been installed so that these vehicles can once again operate, while many examples can be found on static display in other museum collections. Malcolm Batten presents a fascinating selection of the vehicles preserved and locations where trams and trolleybuses can be found at work or on display.

Launched in 1990 as the successor to the groundbreaking Renault 5, the Renault Clio had a hard act to follow. As Mark Bradbury shows, however, the Clio not only matched but surpassed the Renault 5, becoming one of Europe’s bestselling small cars and winning the European Car of the Year Award twice, a record only matched by the Volkswagen Golf. Its success in the United Kingdom owed much to an impressive marketing campaign, including the ‘Nicole and Papa’ television advertisements. This thoroughly researched book covers the design and development of the Clio and the ongoing technical changes, improvements and facelifts that would take it through five generations. The book also covers the ‘hot’ versions such as the Renault Sport, Gordini and Williams, and the Clio’s involvement in motorsport and rallying. Including feedback from British road tests and accompanied by a wide range of photographs, this is a concise, readable and revealing account of one of Europe’s most successful small cars.

Pioneering merchants and traders, soldiers’ wives and children, and slaves are among the many civilians who settled alongside the Roman army at Hadrian’s Wall. These people’s lives can be traced through the things they left behind. Children lost socks and wooden swords when they played, and wives and daughters wore fancy hairpins that fell out when they went to the bathhouses. Hunting dogs were fed and bred for soldiers’ sport, and slaves kept fort hypocausts burning. Roman Life on Hadrian’s Wall pieces together this wide-ranging archaeological evidence to reveal these people’s stories. It will inform and change how you think about everyday Roman life at this remote frontier, the most-visited Roman remains in Britain.

There are 24 railway stations in Warwickshire which cover the full spectrum from busy town centre main line stations to quiet rural branch line halts. The oldest stations date back to the early years of Victorian railway building, through stations closed and reopened to new stations built in the last decade, but all serve railway operations today. In this book railway photographer Kris Davies explores the history, architecture, layout and present-day operations of all of these stations showing the great variety and interest of the railway scene in Warwickshire.This photographic survey of today’s railway stations in Warwickshire will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of the railways in this region as well as the current railway scene.

In 1805 the antiquarian and astronomer Sir Henry Englefield wrote a beautifully illustrated walking tour leading readers through the streets of Southampton. He offered insights into the city’s fascinating historical past, including some fanciful stories about the buildings he was exploring. Since then, much of the fabric of the city has changed with many of the elements he highlighted having been removed through the slum clearances of the twentieth century and bombing during the Second World War. In this book, we retrace Sir Henry’s footsteps and examine key city sites, such as the Bargate, Watergate, the town walls, Church of All Saints, Holy Rood Church, the medieval friary and sugar house, and the medieval vaults, as well as other curiosities he mentions, such as a cannon of Henry VIII and the arms granted by Elizabeth I.Featuring a vivid selection of fascinating illustrations and 3D images and links to the city’s museum collections, here the Southampton of the past is brought to life. Join us on a walking tour through the historic town and find out how the city of Southampton has changed over the past 200 years.

Stafford’s history can be traced back to an Anglo Saxon settlement, when it became the county town of Staffordshire. The Normans built a castle in the town and a priory was founded nearby. The two mediaeval churches in the centre of the town also survive from this period. Stafford was fought over during the Civil War and was eventually captured by Parliamentary forces. In later centuries Stafford’s wealth grew from industries such as shoemaking and later engineering, and the arrival of the canal network through the River Sow Navigation and the railway in the nineteenth century. Stafford’s history also features its military connections, the story of crime and its punishment in the town and recreation, not least the foundation of the Stafford Rangers Football Club in 1876 and the opening of Victoria Park in 1908.Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Stafford has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the area.

''Dynasties'' provides an overview of the history of the aristocracy in England from the Saxon period to the present: as feudal vassals; Tudor and Stuart courtiers; Georgian and Victorian magnates; the decline and fall and then the rise of the noble families from the ashes as guardians of heritage. Sixteen noble families are examined in detail, including the Wellesleys of Stratfield Saye, the Cavendishes of Chatsworth, the Churchills of Blenheim Palace, the Grosvenors of Eaton Hall, the Spencers of Althorp, and the Herberts of Highclere Castle. Scanning just these six, is it is obvious their history is associated with some of the greatest names and most important events in English history: Waterloo, Winston Churchill and WW2 - and ''Downton Abbey''! Each chapter will give a lively account of the family’s place in history from their earliest rise to prominence to the present day. (All those families chosen to receive a devoted chapter persist into the 21st century). Those older families involved in medieval wars and court intrigues often have legends associated with their founding, as well as playing roles in controversial episodes in royal history. Beyond the political and constitutional context, ''Dynasties'' considers the local, familial, and personal stories associated with the families: love stories, tragedies and criminal behaviour; the poets, politicians, architects and artists produced by the ‘great families’, alongside the generals. remarkably, there is no guide to all the major families available in print with this approach. ''Burke''s Peerage'' it is not.

The Yorkshire Dales, in northern England, combines river valleys, hills and historic settlements. Still largely rural, with farming being a way of life for generations, many are drawn to visit its beautiful landscape. Yet, its archaeology reveals more turbulent times and a history that includes battles, iron age forts and epic railway disputes. More recently, festival and village shows are a focal point of the calendar - including the cuckoo and 1940s festivals and the hustle and bustle of livestock auctions. Dalesbred and other sheep varieties are revered across the world and notable businesses and industries include wool production, knitting, cheese making and black marble production. Pubs characterise the Dales, some in remote high locations, quoits is played locally and traditional music flourishes. Celebrating The Yorkshire Dales chronicles the proud heritage of the Dales, their important moments and what draws so many to this beautiful area today. Illustrated throughout, this fascinating book offers a marvellous and refreshingly positive insight into The Yorkshire Dales’ rich heritage, their special places, people and events, past and present. Celebrating The Yorkshire Dales will be a valuable contribution to the history of this area and provide a source of many memories to those who have known it well over the years.

John Gaspard Le Marchant (1766–1812) was no ordinary soldier. Born to a Guernsey father and a French mother, he rose from modest beginnings to become one of Britain’s most brilliant cavalry officers and a visionary reformer. Yet today, his name is all but forgotten. A gifted swordsman, Le Marchant revolutionised cavalry training. Appalled by the poor standard of swordsmanship in the British Army, he designed a new cavalry sabre, wrote the definitive manual on sword fighting, and personally trained regiments across the country. But his most enduring legacy came in 1801, when his audacious plan for a professional officer training academy won royal approval. From that vision was born the Royal Military College – the foundation of what is now the world-renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On the battlefield, his courage was unmatched. Fighting alongside Wellington in the Peninsular War, Le Marchant led one of the most devastating cavalry charges of the Napoleonic era at Salamanca. Victory came at the ultimate cost: his life, cut short at just forty-six. This book tells the remarkable story of a man whose innovations reshaped the British Army and whose legacy still endures. It is a long-overdue recognition of a forgotten hero of military history.