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After D-Day in 1944 many British troops believed the war would be over by Christmas. The German Army in Normandy had been destroyed, but by Christmas the Allies were still fighting through Holland, whilst the Germans had reorganised and were fighting back.Ken Tout, using his own experiences on the frontline and interviews with many veterans, recounts how the last gasps of the German Army saw some of the fiercest and most fanatical fighting of the whole war. Major offensives include Hitler’s last desperate attempt to reverse the tide of war in the Battle of the Bulge and the Western Allies’ epic struggle to cross the Rhine.Also explored are the lesser known (but no less important) battles for the Hochwald and Reichwald, and the extraordinary journey of the Polish 1st Armoured Division from defeat and exile to final victory. This last year of war is filled with stories from the tragedy of whole groups of men being frozen to death in battle areas to the triumph of logistics, ingenuity, and bravery. Soldiers, who had lived for so long under the horrors of war that as they neared the end their desperate desire to survive grew ever stronger, speak of how these last battles took their toll on a wearied army.Fighting continued up to VE Day in May and some units were in action for days longer as confusion reigned about the enemy surrender. Even after the fighting had finished, the war was not over for these men who had to round up and guard German prisoners of war, and watch over thousands of displaced people. As the world reminds us today, war does not necessarily end when a ceasefire is declared.

‘This delicious acorn of a book is as spare, elegant and to-the-point as the literary oak it describes.’– Emma ThompsonJane Austen lived to just 41, never married, never had children, lived all her life in the south of England and rarely strayed far from the genteel and orthodox social circle into which she was born. She completed only six novels and achieved little fame in her lifetime. Yet, over 200 years after her death, she remains one of our most revered writers, and one of the most regularly adapted for television and film.Her novels are beloved by readers all over the world who continue to be inspired, beguiled and delighted by her often comic and always shrewd insights into the calculations and complexities of human hearts and minds.Jane Austen: The Life of a Literary Titan gets to the heart of this enigmatic woman, and to the enduring qualities in her work which make it so universally loved and admired.

Fondly remembered as Spike Dixon in Hi-De-Hi!, Jeffrey Holland is one of Britain’s best-loved situation comedy actors. An invaluable member of the repertory company of writer and director David Croft, his many other television credits include Are You Being Served?, Dad’s Army, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Oh, Doctor Beeching! and You Rang, M’Lord?This unique memoir reveals the hilarious tales from Holland’s long and illustrious career, from the comedy greats that have inspired him to the colleagues with whom he has worked.Heart-warming stories from his twenty-year association with Paul Shane and Su Pollard sit alongside poignant and deep reflections on his all-time favourite comedian, Stan Laurel, and revealing stories of working with the great and good of variety theatre, from Frankie Howerd to Ken Dodd. Not to mention blissful thoughts on his many happy years as part of Russ Abbot’s Madhouse, the joy of The Goon Show and the thrill of stepping into the huge shoes of Peter Sellers. Filled with enthusiasm and affection, The First Rule of Comedy..! is a life told through the eyes of one of the true greats of the genre.