Books in the Shire Library series

Few cars have achieved the iconic status of Volkswagen's classic and much-loved Beetle - yet its origins are intertwined with the dark days of Nazism. This book looks at those origins, at the marque's initial post-war rescue by the British.

In the 1950s and 1960s, British sports car ruled the road, and their charge was led by Triumphs. From the TR2, its first modern sports car, Triumph went on to produce a host of classic sports designs such as the Spitfire, GT, and Stag, as well as more TR models, ending with the TR7 in the late 1970s. These represented the epitome of the contemporary classic British sports car. Fast, nimble, and gorgeous to behold, Triumphs offered the everyday motorist an exhilarating drive at a price that they could afford. Popular both in the UK and the US, the Triumph range helped define the entire genre, with sports cars today like the Mazda MX-5 having their roots in models like the Stag. Illustrated throughout and written by acclaimed motoring writer and historian Graham Robson, this book guides the reader through the history of this classic British marque from its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s through to its eventual demise in the 1980s.

In the Middle Ages, it was thought that praying at the right shrine could save you from just about anything, from madness and famine to false imprisonment and even shipwreck. Kingdoms, cities, and even individual trades had patron saints that would protect them from misfortune and bring them wealth and prosperity, and their feast days were celebrated with public holidays and pageants. With saints believed to have the ear of God, veneration of figures such as St Thomas Becket, St Cuthbert, and St Margaret brought tens of thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life to sites across the country. Saints, Shrines and Pilgrims takes the reader across Britain, providing a map of the most important religious shrines that pilgrims would travel vast distances to reach, as well as descriptions and images of the shrines themselves. Featuring over 100 stunning photographs and a gazetteer of places to visit, it explains the history of pilgrimage in Britain and the importance that it played in medieval life, and describes the impact of the unbridled assault made on pilgrimage by the Reformation.

The SOE (Special Operations Executive) was one of the most innovative British creations of the Second World War. This book looks at the men and women who made up the SOE, the rigorous training to which they were subjected, and their lives during and after the war.

Matchbox toys were ubiquitous items for children across the Western world. Originally labelled Christmas-cracker trash by retailers and shopkeepers, the small-scale 1-75 series soon began to see unprecedented worldwide sales in the 1950s. Smaller and cheaper than most of its competitors'' toys, Matchbox models were also far more accurately modelled, but the company has nevertheless seen its own share of competition and challenging times over the years. In this beautifully illustrated book, Matchbox collector Nick Jones tells the story of Matchbox and its most famous toys, from the Coronation Coach to the Batmobile, and complements the story with beautiful, previously unpublished photographs.

Brings together the architectural and social histories of the parsonage, drawing on the evidence of buildings, archival and literary accounts, and contemporary and modern images, to depict parsonages, their occupants and how their histories may be traced.

With an introduction to the world of bells and bell-ringing, this book explains how bells are made and how a ringing installation works. It explains the nature of change ringing, which has mathematical as well as musical aspects. It provides insights into the ringing community, and more.

Outlines the history of London's sewers from the nineteenth century onwards, using a variety of colour illustrations, photographs and newspaper engravings to show their development from medieval spaces to the complex, citywide network, largely constructed in the 1860s, that is still in place today.

Provides a catalogue of commonly encountered coins, dating from ancient times until the modern day, explaining their historical context, how they might have come to be lost and where they may be found today.

After the constraints of the World War Two, the British embraced modern design like never before. From spindly-legged furniture to fabrics based on atomic design, quirkily patterned pottery to abstract graphics, they wanted everything around them to reflect the bright new post-war world.This book traces the development of modern design in the 1950s, from its first genteel beginnings at the Festival of Britain to the shops brimming with slick products at the end of the decade.Looking at both well-known classics and popular favourites, the work of famous designers and anonymous innovators it's a great introduction to the flamboyant and sometimes kitsch style of the decade when we learnt to love the modern for the first time.

Introduces the homes that people fell in love with in the 1930s, and the fixtures and fittings that went in them. This book features illustrations and informative chapters on architectural styles, gardens, furnishings and technology in the home.

A vibrant illustrated history of Grinling Gibbons, the master carver of the Restoration era. Master Carver Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) is famous for his breathtakingly delicate, intricate and realistic carvings, both in wood and stone. Tantalizing cascades of fruit and flowers, puffy-cheeked cherubs, crowds of figures and flourishes of architecture are all trademark features of his energetic, animated carvings that grace stately homes, palaces, churches and colleges across the country. His work can be found in some of Britain's most beloved buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace. From his early work in the Low Countries to his "discovery" by the diarist John Evelyn in London, and his appointment as the king's Master Carver, this book celebrates Grinling Gibbons' unequaled talent, his visionary genius, and his ability to transform humble pieces of wood into some of the most exquisite artworks of his day.

Goods transportation was the lifeblood of early railways, and remains a key part of rail services today. This concise illustrated guide illuminates the history of goods trains across Britain. Have you ever watched wagon after wagon of a goods train thunder past and wondered where it is heading, what it is carrying, and how it works its way between the passenger services? While goods services now tend to be shrouded in anonymity, in past times they were celebrated, prominently advertised, and in many cases were the raisons d'être for a rail route. Throughout the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century, goods trains were the lifeblood of the nation, transporting precious raw materials, construction and industrial items, and fresh produce from coastal areas and farms into the centers of bustling cities. This informative illustrated history shows how rail freight has been carried since Victorian times, and how systems have been organized, from the train itself to the sidings, railway clearing houses, goods sheds and final destinations--whether villages, towns, cities, factories or docks. It also examines the basic rolling stock of these trains, from the humble coal wagon to today's hi-tech containers.

Illuminated manuscripts are among the most beautiful, precious and mysterious works of Western art. Before the printing press was invented, books were produced by hand, and their illustration using brightly colored pigments and gold embellishments was a labor of love and an act of piety in itself. The results are stunning. The works emanating from the scriptoria of monasteries were mainly religious texts, including illuminated bibles, psalters, and works for private devotion known as books of hours. Illuminated Manuscripts describes the origin and history of illumination in the Middle Ages, covering the artists and their techniques, and the patrons who commissioned them. It explains the subject matter found in medieval works, such as saints and Bible stories and the use of ornamental flourishes, and is illustrated with many fine examples of the genre including the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells.

A staple food in many diets, bread has been baked since ancient times and is considered as a basic necessity. This work charts the history of baking, from the breads cooked with grain-paste through the introduction of yeast, to modern day variations. It describes the different methods used in baking and the range of tools and machinery used.

Garden Cities: the phrase is redolent of Arts and Crafts values and nineteenth-century utopianism. But despite being the culmination of a range of influential movements, and their own influence, in fact there were only ever two true garden cities in England. This book offers a guide to the movement and to the communities which are its legacy.

The great arched train sheds of Victorian Britain are often seen as the nineteenth-century equivalent of medieval cathedrals: once specific railway buildings became necessary around 1830 British architects seized the opportunity with both hands, designing some of the great buildings of their age. This book tells the story of railway architecture.

'Jasper' refers to the highly distinctive blue-and-white wares that have been produced by the Wedgwood company for more than two centuries. It was arguably Josiah Wedgwood's most important contribution to ceramic art and was a direct result of several thousand experiments over many years. This book explores the history and stories of this ware.

A concise illustrated history of the earliest cars in Britain up to 1905, and the people who manufactured and drove them.During the late Victorian/early Edwardian period, the development of the motor car represented the peak of technological experimentation. Termed ΓÇ£horseless carriages," these cars were mainly constructed by inventive engineers in back-street workshops, and most simply comprised the frame and bodywork of a horse-drawn carriage fitted with a petrol engine. However, experimentation was rife--there was much debate as to the most appropriate form of motive power, be it petrol, steam or electric. As this small-scale experimentation developed into a burgeoning industry, manufacturers such as Vauxhall, Wolseley, and Humber looked to the proving grounds of endurance runs, hill climbs, and organized races to increase sales potential, popularity, and, most importantly, reputation. These early days of motoring were beset with reliability issues as roads were often rutted, dusty, flooded, and rarely properly maintained, but comfort and efficiency improved with demand. This fascinating title covers the history of veteran motor cars from their earliest iterations until 1905, and is packed with fascinating facts about the experimental origins of the motoring industry.

An illustrated introduction to the military airfields of Britain and the essential roles they played in the Second World War.The Second World War airfields peppered around Britain are among the most visible and widespread reminders of this devastating conflict. Some are now almost forgotten or built over; others have become museums, industrial estates or parkland; and some have been adapted and remain in operation today. In this beautifully illustrated history, aviation historian Stuart Hadaway explains the crucial part airfields played between 1939 and 1945, detailing their construction and expansion; their facilities and equipment; the many functions they housed from command and control to maintenance and bomb-loading; how the airfields were used both for defense and offence; and how they changed during the war. He also explores what life was like on the airfields, as well as listing some of the remaining sites and what can be seen today.

In the 1950s and 1960s, luxury car buyers, from government ministers to captains of industry, almost invariably bought British. These were stately, dignified, and grand vehicles, with many featuring leather interiors and wood trim. Unfortunately, that market has now largely disappeared and, with it, so have the car-makers themselves. The book covers cars in the over-3-litre class from the biggest names in British luxury motoring including Alvis, Daimler, and Lagonda, and high-end models from Austin, Rover, and Jaguar. It examines the features and characteristics of these classic cars, as well as explaining why they fell from prominence in the 1970s. Replete with beautiful photography throughout, this book is a loving portrait of the British luxury car, a dearly missed saloon defeated by foreign imports.

During her sixty-five-year career, Susie Cooper introduced more than 4,500 ceramic patterns and shapes, versatile and influential designers the industry has ever seen. This title charts her progress from the creation of patterns for Gray's Pottery in the 1920s, to running her own Susie Cooper Productions from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Explains the history of British occupational dress from around 1750 to 1950, a period that saw the decline of many traditional forms of employment, the emergence of new types of job and the alteration of various existing roles to meet the changing demands of the workplace. This guide demonstrates the adaptation of regular clothes for manual tasks.

The source of tremendous power and focus of incredible devotion, throughout history notions of beauty have been integral to social life. Each age has had its own standards: a gleaming white brow during the Renaissance, the black eyebrows considered charming in the early eighteenth century, and the thin lips thought desirable by Victorians.