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The Railways of Northern England in the 1960s covers the area from Crewe and Doncaster up to the Scottish border. Specific locations include Birkenhead, Liverpool (Edge Hill), Warrington, Northwich, Manchester (Gorton), Preston, Southport, Morecambe, Isle of Man, Oxenholme, Shap, Whitehaven, Workington, and Carlisle. The Stainmore route over the Pennines is visited with photographs at Barnard Castle, Barras, Belah and Deepdale Viaducts, Bowes, Kirkby Stephen, and Penrith. The Sheffield tram system is seen in 1960, then Wakefield and Leeds, before time is spent at York. We continue via Market Weighton, Bridlington, Filey, Scarborough, Malton, Kirbymoorside, Tadcaster, Alne, Thirsk, Melmerby, and Northallerton. An early morning visit is made to the Catterick Military Railway, then Darlington, Sunderland, Tyne Dock, Gateshead, and Newcastle to conclude at Tweedmouth and Coldstream. Industrial sites are also visited and include Bickershaw, Corkickle Brake, South Kirkby, Peckfield, Seaham, Doxfords, the Bowes Railway, and the Harton Railway. The time period is largely between 1955 and 1967 and although steam predominates, diesel and electric power are represented, even rope-worked inclines. It will appeal to railway enthusiasts, modelers and those interested in local history. Virtually all of the photographs, a mixture of monochrome and color, have never previously been published and are accompanied with extensive and informative commentaries.

Rulers (and would-be rulers) have always faced the possibility of a violent death. Between the seventh and eighteenth centuries over 20% of all British and European monarchs suffered such a fate. Some died in battle or in accidents but most of them were murdered or executed.During the time of the Tudors and Stuarts some monarchs were the victims of lone assassins, some were killed after palace coups led by relatives or royal officials, and others after being defeated in a civil war. Their manner of death included public beheading, internal injury as a result of a knife attack, being hacked down by a group of noblemen, and ritual strangulation with a silk cord.Killing Monarchs takes us on a journey across Europe. Starting in England and Scotland (Lady Jane Grey and Mary Queen of Scots), it moves to France (Kings Henry III and Henry IV), and then further east to Russia (Tsar Feodor II and various pretenders to the throne) and the Ottoman Empire (Sultans Osman II and Ibrahim I). It then returns to Britain to consider why Charles I was executed.It provides a clear picture of the various forces that existed in society at the time and these are reflected in the motives of the regicides - the killers of monarchs – even though many were not honest about them. The lust for power, the desire for a more effective leader, religious differences, and occasionally the wish to do away with monarchy altogether, all played a significant role.

Whilst the Black Country had been the cradle of the industrial revolution, towards the end of nineteenth century, the prosperity of the region was at an end, and crime was on the increase. A mainly working-class population was having laws imposed upon it remotely, influenced by middle class morality and ethics. Crime in the Victorian Black Country looks at the crimes actually being committed in the Black Country towards the end of the nineteenth century. It considers attitudes towards the police in this geologically unique and neglected part of the country and offers possible reasons for it. It relates tales reported in the local press of the time reflecting the attitude of the ruling elite and the sort of behaviour they wanted to impose on the working classes, and the reaction to this. Crime is endlessly fascinating, the late Victorian view of criminals and the causes of crime, fairly well known, this work offers a view of the criminal behaviour of working-class people through an alternative lens.

Punk: the filth and the fury. But it was so much more than that.In The History of Punk Music, author Stephen Palmer depicts the punk rock explosion of 1976-77 in tired, bored, and socially stratified Britain. Emerging from the litter-strewn streets of London, punk’s music expressed the suppressed anger of young working-class people with nowhere to go and nothing meaningful to do. Its music was raw and shocking. Its fashion mocked staid middle-class values. Its art was expressed in cut-outs and by sprayed graffiti. Yet beneath this sudden explosion, frightening to those of the establishment who witnessed it, incomprehensible to white-collar workers commuting to and from work, lay a philosophy of individual creative expression and an ethic of anti-racism and liberation for women.Punk in its original form was a movement of human liberation, a Year Zero moment in the history of a nation more used to colonial exploits and a vast empire. It spoke of fury, of hopelessness, of cathartic anger expressed through visceral, exciting, revolutionary music. Its visual images captured the gaze of the nation, and soon the world. And all of its central figures yelled, hammered and smashed the doors of the Establishment.This book charts the origins, appearance, development and ending of punk. It is a book of passion and vivid description, befitting the individual visions of the original punk musicians.Punk was filthy and furious, yet it was also a new dawn for the British music scene.

''The best things are worth waiting for. SAS veteran Colin Maclachlan''s much anticipated book is arresting, revelatory, inspirational and explosive. An elite operator''s gripping true story. It blows the door off!'' - Damien Lewis''Colin has made a fascinating start to his life already, but the adventure is just beginning!’ - Andy McNab“An incredible story of courage and commitment under fire” - Bear Grylls"A rollercoaster of an account of a young boy through to SAS Commander on some of the biggest missions in modern times" - Chris RyanThe Pilgrim is the book the MOD tried to ban. It is a rollercoaster of an autobiography of Colin Maclachlan, known for his appearances on shows like Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS.His autobiography starts with his troubled childhood and escape to the military where, as a fifteen year- old boy, he grows up and matures into the SAS soldier we now recognise. Early chapters describe physical, mental and sexual abuse and Colin could easily have ended up in a home but despite the odds and with the help of both the Children’s Panels, NSPCC and some diligent schoolteachers, Colin escaped to the army. Colin had to get special permission to join the army at only fifteen years of age and goes from being a young vulnerable and damaged boy to a capable soldier through preparation for the first Gulf War and joining the oldest and most senior infantry regiment in the British Army, The Royal Scots. From operations in Northern Ireland to being the Queen’s Butcher to Colin’s first TV cameos on Soldier Soldier and Gladiators, Colin’s stories and anecdotes are both exhilarating and hilarious.Colin then describes the arduous SAS selection process, the hardest and most gruelling military selection process in the world. Colin describes in some detail what most have never even heard in this secretive world where Colin goes from a course of what seemed hundreds down to only six percent in six months! The reader is then taken on a never seen before description of life as an SAS operator. Daily life in an operational squadron and the operations, missions and training involved all described in detail. Colin was part of Mountain Troop, D Squadron who were to be involved in some of the most high-profile and dangerous missions in SAS history.

Basra and Back follows Salamanca Company, a unit of British infantry deployed to Iraq as part of the peacekeeping effort after the 2003 invasion, known as Operation TELIC.Drawn from units in southwest England, Salamanca Company wasted no time in assuming its duties, providing security to the coalition’s provisional government and navigating the tense, dusty streets of Basra City. Insurgents had infiltrated the city, sowing discord among the population already grappling with shortages of essential resources like food, water, fuel, and electricity. The soldiers understood the gravity of the situation and braced themselves for civil unrest and worse, knowing their deployment would lead them into even more dangerous territory. For six months in 2004, the officers and men of The Rifle Volunteers found themselves as reservists on the frontline. Now that the war had been won, it was time to win the peace.Told through the eyes of Matthew Okuhara, a young soldier called into regular service, Basra and Back gives a true and overlooked account of the UK''s military reserve at war. Narrated with an abstract sense of humour, Matthew is initially out of place but eventually discovers his role as the unit medic within ‘3 Platoon’. The book also covers the military history of reserve soldiers during the War on Terror, with the deployment of so many volunteers marking a historic moment for the British Army, as was the first time in nearly half a century that a formed unit of reservists is deployed in a ground holding role since the Suez Crisis: an experiment that created a strategy that continued in military deployments for years to come.

Hillforts in modern day Britain occupy often, but not always, isolated, windswept locations on the edge of modern day society. For the Iron Age tribes of that turbulent period 2-3000 years ago, hillforts or defended settlements were built for a number of reasons, they were seen as a statement of wealth and power by local chiefs and warlords, places of refuge for the local population in times of need as well as meeting points for trade, markets and religious festivals. With the advent of aerial drone photography these obscure locations are brought to life spectacularly from above to provide an unparalleled view of the subject matter. The Iron Age Dobunni Tribe occupied the modern day counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire in the centuries leading up to the Roman invasion of AD 43. The different types, classifications and construction of hillforts are explained with aerial photographs illustrating these differences. Questions are answered on who were the Dobunni tribe and where did they come from, what social structure existed and what were their religious beliefs.This new, fully illustrated study puts forward a thesis to establish the frontiers of the tribal area using local topography and the location of hillforts. A chapter is given over to each county with individual hillforts discussed as to their location, structure, type and classification, myths and excavated finds. For each hillfort there are what3word locations on where to park, Ordnance Survey six figure map references, information on the length of walk in kilometres and a grading of the difficulty of the walk, making this book essential reading for historians, tourists, and photographs enthusiasts alike.

Of all the tanks in the German arsenal the Tiger was perhaps the one most feared, certainly by the Western Allies from the time they first encountered it in North Africa to the end of the war in Europe. This was no small feat for a tank of which only 1,347 were produced out of a total German tank production of around 27,000 tanks. This is not surprising given that it was armed with the dreaded 88 mm gun, the rounds of which could pass right through a Sherman tank and whose thick frontal armour meant that it was virtually invulnerable to anything the Allies could field at that time.Though a fearsome weapon on the surface the Tiger was not well suited to offensive operations. It suffered from a weak transmission, which often failed. The lack of suitable recovery vehicles, until the Bergepanther made its appearance, meant the crews would often attempt to tow it with another Tiger rather than abandon it. This usually resulted in the loss of both Tigers as the towing tank also broke down through mechanical failure, brought about by the extra strain imposed on the towing vehicle. However, as a defensive weapon it was second to none, especially in Italy. Here the country’s hilly terrain, with its scattering of small villages, restricted the routes of advance the Allies could take. Just the knowledge that Tigers were in the area imposed an extra caution on Allied tank crews, particularly after their duels with its lighter Panzer cousins.Starting at the Anzio amphibious landings in January 1944 and finishing with the Senio offensive in 1945, the book draws on official histories unit diaries, reports, and personal accounts to look at encounters between Tigers (and sometimes the Elefant based on the hull of its cousin the Porsche Tiger). In this way it seeks to examine how the crews of Allied armour leaned to deal with this menace and sometimes failed to do so to their chagrin. To illustrate this the narrative delves into a number of detailed accounts of some significant encounters at Anzio, in Tuscany and on the plains of the Po Valley.

On 1 April 1945, US troops launched the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the heavily-defended island of Okinawa. Supporting the invasion, the USS West Virginia participated in the bombardment of entrenched Japanese defenders. That evening, a Japanese aircraft launched a Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka, a rocket-powered kamikaze plane. West Virginia was hit by an Ohka, becoming the first ship damaged by such a weapon. Twelve days later, the USS Mannert L. Able became the first ship sunk by an Ohka.The deployment of the Ohka was a desperate measure by Japan as the war turned against them. This manned flying bomb evolved from earlier kamikaze tactics. However, the Germans had also considered similar weapons. As early as 1944, figures close to Hitler, such as Otto Skorzeny and Hanna Reitsch, advocated for kamikaze missions. Hitler authorized the creation of the Leonidas Staffel to prepare for these attacks, leading to the development of the Messerschmitt Me 328 and Fieseler Fi 103R, also known as the Reichenberg.Though the Fi 103R began production in October 1944, the changing dynamics of the war rendered it obsolete by the time it was ready for use. The project was formally abandoned in March 1945. This book details the development of both the Ohka and Reichenberg.

More Irish personnel served in the Italian campaign than in any theatre of the Second World War. The greatest numbers were in the Army but airmen and sailors also played important roles. From the first actions in Sicily on 10 July 1943 until the German surrender in Italy on 2 May 1945, Irish personnel were in the front line. Those in the combat support services also gave outstanding service, as did medical officers, nurses and chaplains. Many were decorated. At least one was recommended for a posthumous Victoria Cross and there were numerous awards of the DSO, DCM, MC and MM as well as Mentions in Despatches.For most there were no decorations, only the Italy Star; and the service of many was marked only by a headstone or a name on a memorial. Their stories are equally inspiring and deserve to be told whether they were tankmen, gunners, sappers, signallers, infantry or the faithful members of support services such as drivers and mechanics or nurses who were often under threat from air attack or artillery fire. At the other end of the spectrum, many of the commanders, including General Montgomery, Admiral Cunningham and Field Marshal Alexander were also Irish.Drawing on personal memoirs, published works, official records and interviews with veterans, as well as his own in-depth knowledge of the Italian campaign, Richard Doherty reveals the service of Irish units and Irish personnel of all ranks and throughout the campaign, especially during the major battles.

In the seventh volume of Dilip Sarkar’s groundbreaking eight-part series, the day-to-day events of the fifth and final phase of the Battle of Britain are meticulously chronicled. This volume not only details every raid and squadron action but also places them within a broader context, including the roles of Bomber and Coastal Commands and the impact on the Home Front.Sarkar, renowned for his evidence-based research, revisits primary sources to challenge established narratives. This series represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date research on the Battle of Britain, standing out in its extensive bibliography.Volume 6 explored Reichsmarschall Göring’s determination to continue Luftwaffe attacks despite mounting losses. By late September 1940, the German He 111 bombers were shifted to night operations due to unsustainable daylight losses. The final phase saw Me 109 fighter-bombers and high-altitude fighter sweeps dominating daylight engagements. While these tactics were unlikely to defeat Britain, RAF pilots recall this period as the most grueling, with intense high-altitude dogfights between Spitfires and Me 109s.This volume concludes with a review of October 1940’s key events, questioning the month’s designation as the battle’s end and reflecting on the overall significance of the summer’s aerial engagements. Sarkar’s work provides invaluable insight into this critical phase of World War II.

This is the third release in a series that aims to dissect each aspect of Operation Market-Garden as it played out in September 1944. It draws on many individual soldiers and airmens narratives to tell the story of the ongoing fight to keep the Hells Highway open to relieve 1st Airborne at Arnhem, and the brave attempts to re-supply them from the air. The account offers a unique perspective on all aspects of aerial activity during this pivotal operation, illustrating the ways in which these vital endeavours impacted operations on the ground.The story is relayed of the comprehensive Allied effort to retain supremacy in the skies. Individual tales of gallantry work to humanize the account, rooting the action very much in the human experience of conflict. Tales include the never to be forgotten story of the Angel of Arnhem and the acts of chivalry that existed on both sides - even among battle hardened units such as the SS Panzer Grenadiers. All are unique in the annals of war. These and the other personal recollections of Allied soldiers and airmen and their German adversaries tell of extreme courage, camaraderie and shared terror under fire. They are complemented throughout by the authors background information that puts each narrative into wartime perspective.

A deeply personal story. Brave. Revelatory. Digs deep into the key issues facing modern day veterans.'' - **Damien Lewis**Soldier of Conscience is the true story of Wayne Ingram M.B.E, a British soldier who, after experiencing the horrors of war and battling Complex PTSD, finds his life changed by a four-year-old boy named Stefan. Born into a war-torn country and severely disfigured, Stefan’s encounter with Wayne begins a journey of healing for both of them. Over the course of 13 years, Wayne''s aggression and trauma are softened by Stefan’s love, courage, and the bond they share. Their relationship helps Wayne rediscover a life beyond war and violence, ultimately leading him to become a better, more compassionate person.Ingram’s story takes readers through various chapters of his life—his military service in reconnaissance, the challenges of PTSD, his work as a paramedic, and his volunteer efforts as a firefighter. The book also details his career in remote medicine, including time spent in war zones like Iraq and Africa, where he faced personal and professional challenges. Along the way, readers are immersed in his fundraising efforts, such as surviving a life raft challenge and organizing a 24-hour cycling event to build an orphanage in Africa.This is an emotional and multi-faceted narrative, blending themes of love, courage, death, mental health struggles, and personal growth. Written from the heart, it is a raw and honest account of a man who overcame his past through the transformative power of love and compassion. This memoir resonates with anyone facing personal battles, making it relatable to a wide audience.

Living in the Third Reich intricately weaves together the personal stories of German historical witnesses across thematic chapters, covering diverse facets of the wartime experience. From the early years of National Socialism to the devastating bombings of German cities, these narratives are enriched with personal documents and photographs, vividly providing the human face of history.This book is more than just a chronicle of events; it is a profound exploration of human suffering and memory. Each testimony contributes to a larger mosaic, unveiling the emotional and psychological landscapes of those who endured one of history''s darkest periods.Included are German perspectives on antisemitic violence, such as the Night of Broken Glass and the deportation of Jews. The book also contains accounts from those who witnessed allied bombings across Germany, and the civilians caught up in the Russian invasion. The book goes on to cover the aftermath of the war, with people displaced and some forced into labour, and life in post-war Germany.The author''s dedication to impartial presentation allows these stories to resonate on their own, providing a rare and invaluable perspective on the past. Years of painstaking research, translation, and editing have transformed this book into a treasure trove for scholars and general readers alike. It serves as a vital preservation of a generation’s voices, fostering a deeper understanding of how the Third Reich''s profoundly impacted ordinary lives.By presenting these accounts in their unaltered and honest form, the author ensures that the true essence of these experiences is captured and conveyed.

Agricola was the great Flavian warrior governor of Britain tasked by the emperor Vespasian with conquering the far north of its main island for the first time. Initially campaigning in Wales and then the north of modern England to secure his rear, he launched his first assault into modern Scotland at the end of the 70s AD. Four more bloody campaigns beyond the Solway Firth-Tyne frontier followed, each time the Romans heading further and further into the heart of darkness, as they would have seen it. Famously, at one stage during the campaigns he also contemplated invading Ireland, only to be told no by the new emperor, Domitian. Ultimately, the primary sources say he defeated the combined armies of the natives in far north at the Battle of Mons Graupius in AD 83. After this, the successful conquest of the whole island was declared, Agricola commanded the Classis Britannia (the Roman navy in Britain) to circumnavigate the whole province for the first time, and Domitian ordered a monumental arch to be built at Richborough on the east coast of Kent to celebrate the Roman triumph. This became the imperial gateway into Roman Britain.In this new, generation-defining book on Agricola’s campaigns in Scotland new archaeological evidence will be used to show how Agricola was able to campaign so far north of the imperial frontier and in such numbers (with over 30,000 men, plus the fleet), and the exact routes he followed. Thus, for the first time, the true story of Agricola in Scotland can be told.

Captain John Grant Fraser of the Royal Artillery had succeeded to the titles of Ballindoun and Kinneries via the unexpected death of his elder brother James Fraser on 1 May 1791. John Grant died in 1798 and the title passed to his eldest son Baillie Fraser, their uncle Hugh acting as guardian until his coming of age.James Baillie Fraser joined the Army and rose to the rank of lieutenant in the 7th Fusiliers, serving in the Peninsular war. His younger brother Alexander John Fraser also joined the Army serving in the peninsula, becoming a lieutenant in the 52nd Foot. Both wrote home regularly to their sister Ann and gave fascinating details of life at war, but tragically James was killed at the Battle of Sorauren on 28 July 1813 and his brother Alexander was severely wounded and died at Bera on 20 October the same year. Within six months the war had ripped the heart out of the family.The estates passed to Ann, who tragically died on 16 December 1816, the whole then passing to their uncle Hugh. He sold the estates and the family ties to Ballindoun and Kinneries were broken for ever – effectively destroyed by the Napoleonic wars.Beyond the letters from Ann’s two tragic brothers, her collection also includes much material from her uncles on her mother’s side who were also heavily involved in the wars. George Wilkes Unett, Royal Artillery, served in the West indies, Martinique, Copenhagen and Waterloo, whilst his other brother Richard Wilkes Unett served in the West Indies. Their letters show clearly how the war was indeed a World War and how families were sucked into this ever hungry meatgrinder.Finally we have the fascinating journal of their brother John Wilkes Unett, a solicitor by trade but who happened to travel to Paris to visit his brother and experience the city shortly after the allies had taken possession in 1815.These letters and journals provide a fascinating insight into the lives of an ordinary family in extraordinary times and how two sudden tragedies destroyed it.