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The Forgotten Heroes of the British Suffrage Movement investigates the struggle for women’s right to vote through the eyes of some of the lesser-known activists. It delves into the themes, events and political issues that formed the bases of the movement and seeks to highlight the sacrifices made in the process of winning female enfranchisement. It begins with a look at the early campaigners and organizations that led the way at a time when the concept of women voting was seen as nothing more than a quaint idea. The book charts how for some, progress was deemed too slow which led to the introduction and gradual increase in militant tactics, culminating in arson attacks and a bombing campaign. Forgotten Heroes also takes a fascinating deep dive into the myriad of different identities that made up the women of the suffrage movement. They came from all walks of life, supported different political parties, had various sexual preferences and some even came from other races. Despite this diversity, in a period spanning a little under one hundred years, women banded together and fought a political war. They gave up their time, money, freedom, health and even their lives for an objective that today is taken for granted as a basic human right, the entitlement for women in the UK to vote on the same terms as men.

Imagine leaving your comfortable life in middle England for a land of glorious hot summers, romantic scenery and exquisite cuisine, to live off the fruits of your own labour on a vineyard in south-west France. If it sounds too idyllic to be true, it probably is!In July 1986, Nigel Reay-Jones and his wife Georgea sold their house in the Cotswolds and moved, with their five small children, to Château de Commarque, a dilapidated medieval fortified farm-turned hotel-restaurant in the tiny commune of Sauternes, near Bordeaux, with a small vineyard attached in even worse condition than the house. The Vineyard Venture is the story of the Reay-Joneses' wonderfully bold endeavour to make their dream a reality. From natural disasters and baffling bureaucracy to crumbling medieval walls and hypochondriac chefs, there was plenty sent their way to derail it. But time and again, the Reay-Joneses proved they were made of sterner stuff. This book, a brilliantly entertaining account written after a decade of laughter, adventure and, without hyperbole, momentous struggle, is a tale for winelovers, Francophiles and dreamers. It is the story of a life lived off the beaten path… down a bumpy track and at the end of a narrow lane in one of Bordeaux’s smallest and most revered wine-producing areas.

From the moment Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, code-named Operation Barbarossa, Hitler was fixated on the capture of Moscow. Yet his fear of exposing the flanks of the German Central Front led to costly diversions north and south at Leningrad and Kiev, delaying the assault on the Russian capital. When the Battle of Moscow – Operation Typhoon – finally began on 30 September, the Panzerwaffe was already weakened while Soviet forces had fortified their defences and reinforced their lines. Spanning a 370-mile front, 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies in the north and 2nd Panzer Army in the south surged towards Moscow in a vast pincer movement with hundreds of tanks and assault guns in tow, relying on the familiar tactics of Blitzkrieg. But what followed was no lightning war. Instead, German tanks and infantry were dragged into a gruelling battle of attrition during the coldest recorded winter of the twentieth century. Snowbound and under-supplied, with entire units freezing to death, the offensive ground to a halt before the gates of the capital. Tanks and Armour in the Battle for Moscow offers a compelling visual account of the Panzerwaffe’s doomed advance on Moscow, drawing on over 130 rare and unpublished wartime photographs. Through detailed captions and expert narrative, it follows the campaign from its faltering restart in the spring of 1942 to the bloody Rzhev-Sychyovka offensive and beyond, charting how the Germans lost the initiative on the Eastern Front. By early 1943, any hope of capturing Moscow had vanished, and a protracted retreat westward had begun – one that would not end until the Reich itself lay in ruins.

The Kray Twins aka Ronnie and Reggie ruled London’s Gangland underworld during the 1960s with a ruthlessness rod of iron that still shocks yet captivates young and old alike to this very day. Their calculated rise to power involved fear, extortion, violence and murder as-well as developing a cult like celebrity status, which thrived in the heart of the swinging 60s nightclub scene and beyond. Although some may say their story may have been told many times over, the crime scene locations and background in which their lives unfolded and evolved has been largely abandoned to the past. For the first time in over half a century we can finally uncover what still remains of Britain’s most notorious brothers in crime and using the original police reports, eyewitness testimony and files from the public archives we aim in this book to separate fact from fiction to present the real story behind the ‘Firm’. True crime and social historians Richard C Cobb and Mark Davis return to the Krays old stomping ground in East London and take the reader behind the scenes on a step by step journey through the avenues and alleyways of their “Manor”As the past meets the present, they uncover key locations forgotten in time and present the truth about the rise and demise of the Kray brothers. From humble East End beginnings, to becoming the Godfathers of London's underworld, to their eventual downfall culminating in life imprisonment. Cobb and Davis explore the most charismatic part of East London, uncovering a cockney culture and a personality that has never left the area, where even today the shadow of the Krays still lurk around every corner embedded in the very streets they virtually owned. The Legend is everything…

Unlock the captivating stories hidden within the pages of historical newspapers and bring your ancestors back to life with Tracing Your Ancestors Using Newspapers. Newspapers have long been an invaluable, yet often underused, resource for genealogists. Thanks to ongoing digitisation, it is now easier than ever to search for ancestral articles from the comfort of your own home, but finding meaningful results isn’t always as simple as entering a name into a search box — and even when you do, how can you be sure the article is really about your ancesto? his book guides you through the process of uncovering, understanding, and interpreting newspaper articles that feature your ancestors. You'll explore the wide range of stories that can be found, from court proceedings and military exploits to lost pets, acts of bravery, letters to the editor, and unexpected community involvement. Along the way, you'll learn how to assess the reliability of articles, trace relatives across regions and continents, and make the most of ever-expanding online archives. As well as identifying specific mentions of your ancestors, newspapers offer unparalleled context. They can help you understand the world your relatives lived in — what news they read, what challenges they faced, and how their lives were shaped by the events of their time. From scandal and gossip to marriage announcements and heroic deeds, newspapers preserve the everyday voices of the past in vivid detail. Packed with expert advice, practical guidance, and inspiring real-life examples, Tracing Your Ancestors Using Newspapers will help you deepen your research, break down brick walls, and discover the people behind the names on your family tree.

The world froze in horror as Russian forces crossed the frontline and struck out deeper into the heart of Ukraine. The roaring of the Russian fighter jet engines soared through the skies of Kharkiv, and Kyiv’s air raid sirens screeched across the city. Europe was in shock and the world waited for American President Joe Biden to declare war against Russia. However, Biden held back, and the Third World War was diverted. This was the closest incident the world had experienced in which a nuclear exchange was narrowly diverted since the dangerous days of the previous century. Nevertheless, it quickly became apparent that a new Cold War had begun. At the heart of the narrative is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has become a catalyst for a broader global struggle between Russia and the West, reverberating across Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and even the domestic terrain of America. The West’s evolving relationship with Russia, China, and Iran has sparked a new era of tension, confronting the reader with the increasingly complex and polarized international landscape. The author focuses on Russia’s sophisticated propaganda and disinformation campaign aimed at manipulating Western public opinion on support for Ukraine, as well as its impact on the 2024 American elections. In addition to geopolitical analysis, this book offers a sobering examination of how Russia has exploited the deepening ideological divide within Western societies. It dives into the fractures between the left and the right, revealing how these divisions are being weaponized by Russian media and online networks to undermine unity and sow discord in democracies. The book presents a clear-eyed assessment of the new Cold War – its ideologies, power plays, and global ramifications of the struggle for influence. Cold War II confronts readers with uncomfortable truths about the state of Western democracies, the fragility of international order, and the far-reaching consequences of global political conflicts. By revealing the interconnectedness of a number of ongoing wars, the author also highlights how they act as battlefronts in the broader Russo-West rivalries.

The Royal Norfolk Regiment had a fighting record second to none. Five members of the Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross, the greatest number to any Line Infantry Regiment during the Second World War. 1st Battalion landed on Sword Beach on D-Day and fought with distinction through France, Holland and Germany2nd Battalion was the first complete infantry battalion of the British Expeditionary Force to land in France in 1939. Members of this battalion earned the first gallantry decorations of the war. Tragically, 97 men of this battalion were massacred at Le Paradis during the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940. The battalion was rebuilt and fought in Burma and the hellish Battle of Kohima. 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions fought doggedly at Singapore but after the surrender of the island in 1942, spent the rest of the war as Japanese Prisoners of War on the infamous 'Death Railway' and forced labour camps. 7th Battalion fought in France in 1940. Only fifty men made it back, but the battalion was rebuilt and returned again to fight in Normandy in 1944. Drawing on the diaries, memoirs and memories of those who were there, this book is a fitting tribute to the brave men of The Royal Norfolk Regiment.

It was a lazy Sunday morning in Russia on 1 June 2025. The war with Ukraine had been going for over three years. That morning 117 Ukrainian drones rose up from the back of four trucks deep inside Russia itself and started flying towards their targets – a number of Russian airbases. They were Ukrainian made Osa (‘Wasp’) quadcopters. They were packed in crates of around twenty-seven drones each and driven across the country in the back of cargo trucks. The unsuspecting Russian truck drivers thought they were delivering materials for pre-fabricated houses. Instead, several of the drivers were asked to pull over at a local gas station or parking lot, and then suddenly the cover of the cargo container came off and more than two dozen drones took off towards a nearby air base. The Russian drivers were taken completely by surprise. The drones then attacked the Russian bombers at four air bases across the vast expanse of Russia, from a base above the arctic circle near Murmansk, to the heart of European Russia, out to the middle of Siberia, near Lake Baikal. Large old Russian strategic bombers, like Tu-95s and Tu-22s came under attack, along with Russia’s valuable Airborne Early Warning and Control Beriat A-50s. Maybe two dozen planes were attacked by the drones on three of the airfields, and it appears that over a dozen were destroyed. This attack stunned Russia, as this was their strategic bomber force. Not only was it being used to regularly strike at Ukrainian infrastructure and cities, but these were the nuclear-capable strategic bombers that were an important part of their Strategic Deterrent Forces. Some Russians, in shock, equated it to a Russian Pearl Harbor. This book explores the full story of a covert attack that has changed the rules of military warfare forever.

Delve deep into the trees and find wonder in our UK woodlands. Step back from the pressures of everyday life and reconnect with nature and its mindful magic with this absorbing and engaging guide. Learn what you can see at different times of the year and recognise the stunning trees, flowers and plants, multi-hued birds and insects, and mysterious mammals that call these habitats home. Soon you will be marvelling at rutting deer, soaking up the view of beautiful bluebells, and entering the world of bumbling badgers and fantastic foxes, while also enjoying the rapturous sound of glorious birdsong. Press pause on your modern worries and go back to your ancestors’ roots by foraging for nuts and berries. Become aware of the signs that indicate one season transforming into another. Search for fairytale mushrooms and at the same time understand why they are essential to our environment. Discover the science, history and folklore associated with the oak, ash and birch. On your seasonal adventures through our enigmatic woodlands, be humbled by their importance to our interconnected ecosystem, and be inspired to protect these precious places for the betterment of the world. This accessible guide, with its attractive and original photos, will help you to build an everlasting bond with your local wildlife and woodlands, thus enriching your well-being and life.

Princess Ileana of Romania (1909–1991), known later in life as Mother Alexandra, was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and his consort, Queen Marie. Kind, intelligent, and beautiful, she was exalted among the royal courts of Europe and the darling of the Romanian people. She married Archduke Anton of Austria in 1931 and made Schloss Sonnberg her home before returning to Romania during World War II, where she converted the famous Bran Castle into a hospital for wounded soldiers. Exiled after the Soviet occupation of 1944, she eventually settled near Boston, Massachusetts, where Senator John F. Kennedy helped her on the path to citizenship. Having pawned the magnificent Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik crown, once the possession of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, to buy a home and raise her six children in relative security, life could have taken a predictable course from then on—but not so for the princess. In 1961 she travelled to France to train as a monastic, and six years later founded a monastery in Ellwood, Pennsylvania. During the quiet decades that followed, she gradually revealed to intimate friends the startling secrets her mother had told her about the murder of her relatives, the Romanov family, by the Bolsheviks on July 16, 1918. Ileana of Romania: Princess, Exile and Mother Superior is both a narrative of an extraordinary life and an unveiling of new evidence pertaining to one of the great mysteries of the twentieth century. It is a story of war and struggle, the complete upending of an old order, and of finding peace at the end of it.

For the first time, this book chronicles all the daring escapes from Oflag IV-C Colditz Castle. By late 1939, the German Blitzkrieg offensive had swept up a number of prisoners of war who were housed in forts and purpose-built camps. To the committed escape artist this was an initiation test, and many officers made light work of regaining their freedom, however finding passage to safety was difficult and recapture was often the outcome. Gradually Allied officers became such persistent planners of escape that the German High Command required an escape-proof prison, deep in Eastern Germany. Colditz Castle, with it’s rich history and imposing walls, provided such a place. The Polish were amongst the first prisoners to be incarcerated at Colditz. On 7 November 1940 the first British contingent arrived to join the men who were already stationed at the camp known as Oflag IV-C, including the Laufen Six with Major Pat Reid. Gradually more Allied officers arrived, including Belgians, French and Dutch, all of whom were all branded as ‘troublesome or persistent escape artists’. They made up a community of committed officers hell-bent on escape with a wide variety of skills to exchange and hone, and there was also an escape by the Indian national, Dr Biren Mazumdar. The inmates also included Prominente who were political prisoners such as Giles Romilly, the nephew of Winston Churchill. These men were amongst the bravest to serve in the Second World War and risked everything to ensure maximum disruption to the German war machine. Over the next four years there were 183 recorded escape attempts. The security officer at Colditz, Reinhold Eggers, established a museum in the Castle with exhibits, disguises and forged identity papers to educate his guards and prevent further escapes. Vital resources were diverted to guarding these men and the effort, time and money required to track down the men who escaped harmed the war effort of Nazi Germany.

Born of private means, educated and eloquent, Robert Rose was once a fixture in the literary circles of 19th-century Manchester and Liverpool, but now nearly erased from history. Rose wrote poetry tinged with longing, loss, and quiet resistance. This deeply researched biography brings Rose back into the light, uncovering his words, his world, and the legacy he left behind. Though many questions remain, his story of displacement, artistic ambition, and the struggle for recognition resonates powerfully today. The Bard of Colour, Robert Rose brings Rose out of obscurity and into the light. This compelling biography explores his work, his world, and the prejudice he faced, offering a rare window into Black British life in the Victorian era.

After defeating a coalition of Athens, Thebes, Persia, and other Greek city-states at the end of the Corinthian War in 387 BC, Sparta tyrannized all of Greece with nearly unchecked power. But her empire had been hollowed by the cost of generations of war and a most unfavourable trend in demographics: a sharp decline in Spartan soldiers and citizens. With Sparta's infirmity came a desperately tighter grip on Greece. And Sparta’s renowned king, Agesilaus II, held a special hatred for Thebes. After conquering the city in 382 BC, Sparta dismantled Thebes and intended to permanently eliminate their Theban problem. Thebes, though, was stubbornly resilient in the face of Sparta’s cruelty and not only survived Spartan occupation, but soon overthrew Sparta and aimed to shatter her empire. Against the odds, Thebes succeeded. Her victory boiled down to the indomitable spirit of two men: the irreproachable general Epaminondas and the cunning statesman Pelopidas. The two formed a local resistance movement that first liberated their home from Spartan oppression in 378 and then challenged Sparta’s empire outright in the Theban-Spartan War. By 371 at the Battle of Leuctra, their vision of a free Thebes and broken Sparta was realized, and the infamous Spartan war machine was at long last defeated. For the first time since the age of mythology, Thebes reigned supreme over Greece. Leuctra was the lynchpin of the new Theban Hegemony, and began a new era of empire in Greece, and the first power in centuries that was not Athens or Sparta.

July of 1331 saw the gathering of a most unusual army; its billets scattered across the modest ports of Yorkshire’s eastern coast. Its purpose, the invasion of Scotland and the overthrow of the yet inchoate line of Bruce kings. This was a task monumentally disproportionate in scale to the tiny army that sought to undertake it. It was a goal which they would ultimately fail to realise, though not before experiencing some spectacular successes and forever changing the balance of power within Scottish politics. The most notable of these triumphs were the Battle of Dupplin Moor, and the better-known Battle of Halidon Hill. Such unlikely victories lent credibility to their cause, igniting another decade of war. The army was mostly English, but its masters were the disinherited sons and grandsons of what had once been the flower of Scottish knighthood, an alliance of related Scottish nobles who had been exiled from Scotland for their ongoing refusal to accept Robert Bruce’s claim to the throne. While they eagerly courted the support of the current English king, Edward III, they were no mere ciphers or puppets – their fathers and grandfathers had been amongst the fiercest proponents of Scottish freedom and independence. Edward I of England had seized upon the succession crisis that followed the death of Alexander III to insinuate himself into the centre of Scottish politics and attempt to compel the Scottish nobility into acquiescing to his claims of overlordship. Yet the following war was shaped as much by the struggle between rival Scottish dynasties as it was the imperial ambitions of successive English kings. Running parallel to the war to refute English overlordship of Scotland was an internecine conflict in which disparate factions of the Scottish nobility vied with one another to secure the throne. Both the Bruce and the Comyn family, from whom the majority of the exiles were descended, danced back and forth across the line between loyalists and collaborators in their attempts to dominate Scottish politics. The Bruces and their allies eventually triumphed in this dual struggle, but it was a victory of family and faction rather than kingdom or nation. The return of these disinherited nobles and the war they unleashed eventually re-awakened English ambitions to annex Scotland, spiralling into the Second War of Independence. This book explores the history of the families that produced these exiles, as well as their conduct in both Wars of Independence, to gain a valuable new perspective on Scotland’s historical struggle for independence and uncover the truth of the, all but forgotten, civil war that did so much to define it.

Since the early days of mankind there seems to have been an urge to travel. The undertaking of arduous journeys to visit a sacred, or magical place seems to be an integral part of the human psyche. The peak of English pilgrimage was during the medieval period. Some pilgrims spent large sums of money and risked their lives to travel to the Holy Land to see the places where Jesus had lived and died. The other major destinations, and closer to home, were Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Yet most pilgrimages were of a day or two to local shrines. Pilgrimage could be made as a form of personal devotion, to ask for a cure of illness or in thankfulness for help from the saints. This book explores the stories of the people who went on pilgrimage. Where did they go? What inspired them to make the journey? What hardships would they endure on the way? What would they experience when they arrived at their destination. Would there be miracles? and how would their life be changed when they returned home. The history of pilgrimage is the story of people, their hopes and fears, in this life and the next.

Richard Marsden Pankhurst is an obscure figure, forgotten by history because he has been overshadowed by his dazzling wife, Emmeline, the great leader of the Suffragettes. Yet their partnership as campaigners was a critical element in her development and success. Her reaction to his death in 1898 led to her decision five years later to convene the Women's Social and Political Union, popularly known as the Suffragettes. Richard's intense character and devotion to ideals made him an object of both admiration and derision. He was widely respected as an honest man who put principle before self and party. Yet in worldly terms he was a failure. As a barrister, he should have been able to provide a comfortable home life for his family, but his political extremism hindered success in his career and the family struggled to afford the life to which they aspired. Even as a political campaigner Richard failed in several attempts to enter parliament. Nevertheless his marriage to young and beautiful Emmeline lent him a new glamour and soon resulted in a growing family. He moulded their beliefs and actions, creating a campaigning machine. Women's equality was a significant focus, but so too were the other radical causes they espoused on behalf of the poor, workers, children, and world peace. Emmeline had already begun to take the lead in political activism, due in no small measure to the support of her devoted and unconventional spouse. The startling tactics of the Suffragettes in the early 20th century owed much to the influence of Richard Pankhurst. Later overshadowed by his extraordinary wife and daughters, his memory has been erased, but his story is a vital component in understanding the remarkable Pankhurst women.