Books by John Parker

He was one of the world's true superstars, and the silver screen's most beloved James Bond. Sir Sean Connery - a proud Scotsman born in 1930 to a working-class family - died at home in the Bahamas on 31 October 2020. He left behind him a legacy to rival any actor. Connery bestrode Hollywood like a Colossus. He commanded some of the highest fees in the industry and was lauded by critics and the public alike. In July 2000, his unique contribution to the world of film was recognised when he was accorded a knighthood. John Parker traces the astonishing rise to stardom of a tough street kid from Edinburgh. The part of 007 became a monster that threatened to kill Connery as an actor; he escaped to establish himself as one of the world's most magnetic and commanding character actors, winning an Oscar for his role in iconic crime drama The Untouchables. The author has drawn on reminiscences of famous friends and colleagues, including Honor Blackman, Robert Hardy and Eric Sykes, to create an authoritative and entertaining portrait of a talented, complex actor - and, above all else, a magnificent man.

The Sentinel of KunduzFor eons they prayed for the Nokorrah to come to their rescue. A prophesized being who would rescue them from their enemy and transform their lives. This is the story of a Kurdish girl who lost everything she loved but who through her courage, daring and faith restored a lost people and brought them a new beginning. This is also the story of a covert US military operation that becomes entwined with her and her peoples struggle and how their interaction leads to unintended consequences that change the fate of the Kurdish people forever. Greater Gift Hath No ManThe extraordinary story of a Navy helicopter crew and ship attempting a daring rescue against horrific and seemingly insurmountable odds. A family desperately clings to life on a capsized schooner in one of the worst storms ever to hit the West Coast. Their only hope a stubborn Navy pilot who pushes himself, his crew and his aircraft to the limits of their endurance as he refuses to surrender them to the violent seas. This is the story Lieutenant William Hitman Evans and the valiant crew of Buckeye Zero Niner as they battled the wrath allayed against them to save the family.

A fully revised and updated account of John Parker's personal investigation into the secretive SBS

Drumlines are expert practicers: they isolate each part of their playing into the tiniest fragments and then perfect those fragments. Each phrase in a drumline's performance has been honed to a razor's edge and drilled to the point where the drums seem to play themselves. Drumline to Drumset takes the concepts of a drumline's most common exercises and applies them to the drumset to take the student's playing to the next level. Each exercise is first applied to the snare drum and then applied around the drums. Once the exercise has been mastered, the concepts are applied in practical grooves and fills.

Exploring works from the Middle Ages to Marlowe, this book argues that Christian drama and ritual performance had reveled in staging the collapse of Christianity into its historical opponents (paganism, heresy), a tradition Marlowe embraced.

The dramatic story of the Royal Navy's history and current capability

This compact book reproduces fifty-two memorials in Latin taken from churches situated largely in the West Country. Each memorial is accompanied by a translation and by notes on the grammar.The book is aimed at all who would like to be able to read Latin epitaphs in churches, and whose knowledge of the language may be sketchy.The introduction explains the conventions involved in lettering, abbreviations, Latinized personal names, and stock phrases. It is followed by a very brief Latin grammar and notes on Roman numerals and dates. At the back of the book there is a word list containing all those words found in the inscriptions with numbered references, plus a selection of words which are commonly found in inscriptions generally, though not in those printed here.By combining these resources in one book, the author equips the reader with the tools to tackle other epitaphs beyond the pages of this book and further afield.Every attempt is made to help the reader understand the context in which each inscription was composed. For instance it is stressed that the composers of such epitaphs were skilled Latin scholars, and that there are very few errors to be seen. Errors attributable to the stonemasons or sign-writers are noted and corrected.

Whilst Neil Armstrong is taking his giant leap for mankind, here on Earth the Harrison family prepares for a more modest step, from Birmingham to rural Wiltshire.

A gripping history of the elite brigade of the Royal Navy

An updated in-depth investigation into the history and mystique of the Gurkha regiments