Books by Hugh Allen

Originally published by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. as a promotional, The Story of the Airship chronicles the history and development of these great "silver cruisers of the sky." Filled with photos and authoritative text, the book springs from an era when dirigibles, balloons andblimps competed against airplanes for public attention. Sadly, incidents such as those that befell the USS Macon, USS Akron and Hindenburg caused the public to lose faith in these craft. Published prior to these terrible tragedies, this book chronicles some of the stunning achievements made in the 10s, 20's and 30s. It can be seen as a testament to a golden era, when the sky was full of promise, and serene voyages of wonder were routinely made in these amazing aircraft.

'[...] I saw that he was staring intently at a leaf blowing over the surface and drifting towards him. When it came within reach he started to dab at it with his right front paw, but with a touch so gentle that his pad was the merest caress on the tiny tip of its curled-up sail. From that moment, I always called him the Lonely Tiger.' After being discharged from the British Armed Forces at the end of the Second World War, Hugh Allen-and his widowed sister Babs-decided on impulse to settle down on an estate in Mandikhera, an obscure village in central India, hoping to live the quiet life of a farmer. But even as his crops flourished, they suffered the attentions of the hungry denizens of the surrounding forest. Allen was thus compelled to take up arms to defend his crops and, occasionally, the villagers of Mandikhera. The Lonely Tiger recounts Allen's encounters with animals of all kinds: snappish tigers in heat; a wounded, angry leopard; a surly, murderous boar; chattering, helpful monkeys; an enraged she-bear protecting her cubs; and a melancholy tiger that has lost his family to poachers. Hugh Allen narrates his adventures in spare, taut and thrilling prose which brings the jungle-and the hunt-to pulsating life. And while The Lonely Tiger is one of the best shikar books to have been ever written, it is also one of the earliest appeals to conserve India's rapidly vanishing wildlife. Appearing in print after a hiatus of more than half a century, The Lonely Tiger is a must read.

The jiko, a charcoal-burning stove consisting of a ceramic liner fitted inside a metal case, burns 25 to 40 per cent less charcoal than the traditional stoves on which its design was based. This book provides guidance on its production and promotion.