Books by Chris Gibson

A smart and surprising political inventory for how America can reunite and revitalize in a time of crisis.

Where do thousands of people in wigs, jumpsuits and fake Priscilla eyelashes go each January to swelter in 42-degree heat as they celebrate The King? Parkes, 365 kilometres west of Sydney, for the annual Parkes Elvis Festival. Written by two long-time fans of the festival, Outback Elvis introduces the local characters, the lookalikes, the impersonators and the tribute artists.

Explains how the RAF developed their transport force from the late 1960s to today's precision delivery of equipment to forward operating bases in Afghanistan and beyond. Illustrated throughout.

To counter the threat from a Soviet "blue water" navy, a large investment was made in the years from 1945 until the 1960s to develop maritime patrol aircraft. For years the Air Staff and the ministries argued over what type should replace the Shackleton, including variants of the Vulcan, the Britannia, VC10 and Trident, before one man strode into the MoD building in 1964, settling the argument with what became Nimrod. To seek and destroy Soviet submarines, Shackletons and Nimrods carried many advanced weapons and sensors, but also played a role in saving lives at sea. Then, after forty years'' service, the Nimrods were withdrawn without replacement after one of the most expensive procurement disasters. Chris Gibson examines the post-war genesis of the RAF''s maritime patrol aircraft, a process that led to Nimrod. From the last flying boats, attempts to improve then replace the Shackleton and ultimately the Nimrod itself, Gibson provides a fascinating insight into the aircraft, weapons and sensors developed to counter the Soviet submarine threat

Around Tamworth

Throughout the world, the number of festivals has grown exponentially, as people celebrate local and regional cultures, but perhaps more importantly as local councils and other groups seek to use festivals both to promote tourism and to stimulate rural development. This title discusses issues affecting music festivals globally.