Books published by Amberley Publishing

The burial grounds, graveyards and cemeteries of Fife contain many fascinating historical tales, often with interesting superstitions attached. All walks of life are represented - from the burial place of ancient kings, queens and saints in Scotland's ancient capital, Dunfermline, to the only known grave of a witch in Scotland, on the foreshore of the Firth of Forth. In this book local historian Charlotte Golledge takes readers on a tour through the history of Fife's burial grounds, graveyards and cemeteries. She explores the history of the royal burials at Dunfermline Abbey and the resting place of the bishops at St Andrews Cathedral, with the graves of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris nearby who designed many of Scotland's iconic golf courses. Lesser-known locations include the secluded St Bridget's kirkyard in Dalgety Bay where bodysnatchers would row across the River Forth to claim freshly buried bodies for the anatomist's table, and the lovingly restored kirkyard at Tulliallan Old Kirk with its gravestones going back to the seventeenth century, many of which have been brought to the surface recently, showing the everyday trades of those interred, including nautical connections. Together, these are the tales of real people of Scotland told through their deaths and burials. This fascinating portrait of life and death in Fife over the centuries will appeal to both residents and visitors to this region of Scotland.

Norfolk has many places of interest connected with its diverse and sometimes bloody past. This book explores locations around the county linked with historical figures and major events. Houses, monuments and statues are associated with the likes of Lord Nelson, Nurse Edith Cavell, Anna Sewell, Howard Carter, Pocahontas, Julian of Norwich and many others. And there are many places connected with major historical incidents such as the Norfolk Rising, the Peasants' Revolt and Boudicca's stand against the Romans. Norfolk locations used in films and television programmes are also included, not least The Go Between and Dad's Army. Royalty has long been associated with Norfolk, including Anne Boleyn and Lady Diana as well as the royal residence at Sandringham. Norfolk has also inspired famous works of literature including The Hound of the Baskervilles, Black Beauty and the Swallows and Amazons series, and many major rock acts played in small venues around the county before becoming famous. Norfolk Places Behind the Faces is an entertaining survey of places of interest associated with Norfolk historical characters, events, and film and television locations. It will appeal to all those who live in Norfolk or know it well.

The ancient city of Bath has always attracted visitors, flourishing in the Georgian era and becoming home for the fashionable and wealthy. The city was rebuilt to reflect its new status and although areas were devastated by aerial attacks in the Second World War and the misguided destruction of the 1960s, Bath today is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. In Bath Murders and Misdemeanours author Mick Davis has delved into local records to reveal the dark side of life in the golden city. From highwaymen to grave robbers and murderers, poisoners to suicides, psychopaths to major disasters, the author has researched and examined a number of little-known crimes that rocked the city in days gone by. This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Bath in previous centuries. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of Bath and the south-west of England.

The 1980s was the era when affordable computers came to UK homes. They were known as microcomputers as their 'brain' was a microprocessor chip. Before then, computers were either found in the IT centres of big companies, taking up a whole room, or were large desktop machines with a price tag that put them out of reach for most people. But in February 1980, a company called Sinclair Computers launched their first home computer costing less than GBP100 - the ZX80. It began a very exciting time for all those with an interest in technology, and the UK home computer market was born. The first Sinclair ZX80s were soon joined by a host of competition in the early years of the 1980s as machines were released from companies such as Acorn, Dragon, Tangerine and Commodore. They all wanted a share of a market that would soon be worth millions of pounds. This book explores the history of these companies and the entrepreneurs behind them such as Sir Clive Sinclair of Sinclair Computers and Chris Curry of Acorn Computers. The innovative machines they produced inspired a generation.

Inspired by the sight of RAF Lightning fighter interceptors climbing vertically into the sky at 50,000 feet per minute and by other British engineering and design achievements, Richard Noble, determined to put Britain back in the lead during the resurgence of national confidence of the 1980s, wanted Britain to regain the world land speed record. Thrust 2, driven by Richard Noble, broke the world land speed record on 4 October 1983 in the Black Rock desert in Nevada. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon turbo-jet engine, it reached a speed of 650.88 mph (1,047,49 km/h}. It would hold the land speed record until 25 September 1987. In this fascinating book, Richard Noble tells the inside story of the development of the car that would beat the world. The story takes the reader from the drawing board, through the considerable technical difficulties, including aerodynamics, mounting an engine designed for jet fighter aircraft, and maintaining stability with suspension and wheels at speeds of over 650 miles per hour. Despite the huge challenges, including recovery from a crash, they were overcome by the confidence and determination of Richard Noble and his team. Including unseen illustrations, this is the true inside story of the world-beating Thrust 2 project.

Warwickshire, often known as Shakespeare's County, has a host of strange and mysterious tales ranging from ancient legends and stories of the supernatural to more modern documented cases. Curious beliefs and customs were once widespread in Warwickshire's towns and villages, some of which still flourish today. These strange and spooky stories include the quirky death of the Roundhead commander who owned Warwick Castle, the association of the great author J. R. R. Tolkien with the town, and the story of the hand of glory obtained at Warwick hangings. The historic buildings of Stratford-upon-Avon have witnessed many strange events over the centuries and more recently the Crackley Wood sprite has been sighted at Kenilworth. Other stories include the Wroth Silver at Knightlow Cross, an 800-yearold violent ball game played annually at Atherstone on Shrove Tuesday, and the unresolved mystery of the 1945 murder at Lower Quinton associated with witchcraft, along with other strange tales from the surrounding towns and villages. These stories are accompanied by the author's photographs in this hugely entertaining book.

Gordon D. Webster's latest title examines the renewal - and revival - of railways in the north of England. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic changed the role of train travel in Britain forever. Gone were the swarms of rush-hour commuters to the city and the tourist season was dealt a very swift blow. New trains and new franchises signalled a new era on the East and West Coast main lines, only for trains to run empty as an emergency timetable took hold. Across the Pennines, the famous Settle & Carlisle line was devoid of its usual summer charter traffic, though 'Staycation Express' loco-hauled services proved a success. This photographic collection looks at the rails of the north before and after the pandemic in all their scenic glory. It also covers the heritage steam railways, which faced their biggest ever challenge during this extraordinary period in history.

The Battle for Hong Kong lasted eighteen days. It was always going to be a losing battle. Winston Churchill knew that Hong Kong could not be defended or relieved if attacked. It had become an isolated outpost to be held as long as possible. After reaching the limits of endurance the British administration surrendered the Crown Colony on Christmas Day, December 1941. The military defeat ushered in a brutal occupation by the Imperial Japanese Army, who ruled the captured territory under martial law. The occupation lasted for three years and eight months until the Japanese capitulation in August 1945. During the occupation, there were shortages of food, firewood, and electricity. Almost everything was in short supply. The Japanese rationed necessities, such as rice, oil, flour, salt and sugar. Ration cards were only issued to those employed in roles that were supporting the Japanese concept of Greater Asia and the co-prosperity sphere. Many died in the streets from starvation and there were outbreaks of cannibalism. The Japanese set about reducing the population, by forced deportation, from 1.65 million to an estimated 500,000 by August 1945. Some were deported to work in coal mines on Hainan Island, some were put on boats which were then sunk or set alight, others were marooned on uninhabited islands. Philip Cracknell brings his unrivalled knowledge of the ground to bear, as he did in Battle for Hong Kong December 1941 to tell the harrowing story of suffering and courage during the Imperial Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. The story follows the civilian through the battle, the aftermath, the internment, and finally liberation. It is the story of the civilian during and after the Battle for Hong Kong.

The county of Staffordshire has an impressive military history and heritage that stretches back well over 1,000 years. In this book the authors explore the military heritage of the historical county of Staffordshire, including the heavily populated urban areas of Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich and the more rural parts of the county from its Anglo-Saxon and Viking legacy to the present day. As well as Staffordshire's historic fortifications, airbases and other military structures, the authors tell the story of Staffordshire's experiences on the Home Front in the world wars. Its military heritage also encompasses military hospitals, munitions, armaments and aircraft production, as well as the military units and regiments associated with Staffordshire, significant military personalities and awards and the foreign wars its soldiers were involved in through the centuries, as well as the county's memorials to these conflicts. This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about Staffordshire's remarkable military history.

Derbyshire is a county of contrasts, and the development of the railways reflect this. In Limestone Country in the west the LNW held sway with its railways from Ashbourne and Cromford to Buxton involved in the extraction of limestone. Meanwhile, in the east of the county, no fewer than four different companies fought over the lucrative business of coal carrying in the huge North Midlands Coalfield. From the historic railway town of Derby, the Midland Railway had routes south to London, west to Birmingham and north to Sheffield. In the north of the county was the MR's Hope Valley route, which included two of the longest tunnels in Britain. Further north still was the Great Central's Woodhead route carving its way through the gritstone. Altogether no fewer than six railway companies were represented in the county, including the Great Northern penetrating from the east, the North Staffordshire in the south-west and the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway with its transversal Chesterfield-Lincoln line. A complex but fascinating story, told using previously unpublished photographs, this book charts the development of the county's railways from the earliest days.

While the Anglo-Zulu War is now best remembered for two battles, the stunning British defeat at Isandlwana and the victory against the odds at Rorke's Drift, two others at Hlobane and Khambula eerily mirrored them. At Hlobane the British stared disaster in the face again and just about escaped, while at Khambula they inflicted a crushing defeat on the Zulu army and turned the war on its head. In addition to these two battles, a British force was massacred on the Ntombe River and the region was the last to surrender. It was a war of ambushes and night attacks, of raids and counter-raids, of visceral intensity and bitterness and two massive battles. It also saw the British hanging on after Isandlwana through the determination and grit of two men, Colonels Evelyn Wood and Redvers Buller, both Victoria Cross winners and arguably amongst the greatest heroes of the war. Humbler heroes too play their part in the story of the war in this part of Zululand, such as Sister Janet Wells, inspired by Florence Nightingale to journey out to South Africa as a pioneer nurse when still in her teens. This is the dramatic story of a true epic, one which played a critical part in shaping the ultimate British victory against a determined and wronged enemy.

The first cranes mounted on railway wheels were hand-operated, but by the mid-nineteenth century several builders had fitted steam engines and boilers to enhance lifting capabilities, though initially these machines were not self-propelled, but merely portable. By the 1860s self-propelled cranes were offered and gradually designs were developed for more specialised uses, such as dealing with accidents or for quarrying. A crane locomotive is a conventional steam locomotive, built or subsequently fitted with a crane jib. The first example was a locomotive converted by the London & North Western Railway in 1866. Other railways followed with their own conversions, and three main line companies even built a small number new. These were all mainly employed for shunting and loading in workshop areas. Private firms also designed and built specialist crane locomotives for use in heavy industry, such as shipyards and steelworks, where they proved to be extremely versatile, with the last examples working into the early 1970s. While over 200 were built in the UK, for both domestic service and export, these fascinating machines have been largely overlooked by the railway historian and enthusiast.

Clive Pearson takes us on an engaging whirlwind tour of the fifty-three men and three women who have so far held the office of Prime Minister. We discover how they got to the top of the greasy pole and assess their performance once in power. Perhaps more importantly, we find out what lasting influence they have had on our lives today. The author also offers up entertaining little-known facts about these key players. Eighteenth-century prime ministers were generally a poor lot, often beset by health problems such as gout and apoplectic fits; later, one nineteenth-century premier spent his evenings prowling the streets at night looking for prostitutes to 'reform'. This book casts a light on this colourful cast of characters, and offers an entertaining and accessible introduction to those who over the last three centuries have held the highest office in the land.

Known as the Prairies, these tank engines of the 2-6-2T variety were some of Churchward's earliest designs and were the precursor for successful variations of one of the classes - numbered 51XX until 1949. There were two basic types, the smaller type for branch lines and the larger type mostly for outer suburban work in London and Birmingham, but also used as banking engines at Sapperton, Rattery, Hemerdon and Dainton inclines. The smaller 45XX class started off as a class of seventy-five engines, but were eventually developed by Collett into a class more than double the size. They saw service on the St Ives portion of the Cornish Riviera Express and the Pwllheli portion of the Cambrian Coast Express. Profusely illustrated throughout and packed with technical detail, Allen Jackson tells the story of the Great Western Railway's Prairie class locomotives.

Oxfordshire is rich in many things: fine agricultural land and areas of dense woodland; delightful towns like Burford, Woodstock, Dorchester and Henley; the stately River Thames that bisects the county; the ironstone villages of the northern border; the Oxford Canal meandering its way through remote countryside; and splendid country houses at Blenheim, Chastleton and Rousham. The jewel in the crown is the city of Oxford itself, with its ancient honey-coloured buildings and dreaming spires. This book celebrates both Oxfordshire's well-known glories and hidden gems such as the ruined manor at Hampton Gay, the brewery at Hook Norton and the glories of Wytham Woods. Highlighting these and other gems, this book gives an enticing picture of the rich variety of experiences and sights the county of Oxfordshire has to offer.

Flying up the Edgware Road tells the story of how an area of what is now north-west London became a hub of the British aircraft industry in the very early years of the twentieth century. From the Edwardian suburb of Cricklewood out towards the semi-rural hamlets of Colindale and Kingsbury, a collection of factories were established to produce some of the most important warplanes that served in the First World War. The author takes the reader through the early days of flying at Hendon, introduces the owners and workers of once-mighty companies, such as Airco, Handley Page and de Havilland, and chronicles the decline and reuse of the factories for a new post-war economy. It is a book that will appeal to those keen to know more about London's industrial, social and economic past, as well as those with an interest in early aviation history.

During the mid-1990s Nottingham's scene was dominated by Nottingham City Transport and the Wellglade group that included Trent buses and Barton buses. Notable independents had been purchased by Wellglade and Nottingham City Transport respectively, with evidence of their existence still very much on the road. Other players included Kinch, Nottingham Omnibus and Delta bus, who tried to make a mark on the scene but were eventually swept away. By the end of decade low-floor buses would start to become the new normal, and new operating practices began to change. This nostalgic look back at buses in Nottingham in the 1990s presents a picture of an interesting and varied bus scene.

The importance of our railways in the movement of sea containers cannot be overstressed. Industry figures suggest that one in four of all containers arriving at UK ports move onwards via the UK rail network. This is particularly significant to the railfreight sector given the dramatic downturn in coal traffic in recent years. Four of the country's major players in the freight sector - Freightliner, DB Cargo, GB Railfreight and Direct Rail Services - all move significant volumes of container traffic to almost all parts of the UK. This book takes a look at these movements, from the major ports of Felixstowe and Southampton to destinations as far afield as Bristol and the Scottish Highlands. John Jackson takes an in-depth look at the diversity of locomotives and container wagons used on these services provided by these key players on our twenty-first-century railway.

The Blackpool Electric Tramway Company commenced operation of a conduit system of railed vehicles along the Promenade between Cocker Street and Station Road on 29 September 1885. By the 1930s the rolling stock was becoming somewhat worn out and, following the appointment of Walter Luff as General Manager in November 1932, the fleet was revolutionised. Over the next few years Luff introduced a fleet of eighty-four streamlined cars and built a new depot at Rigby Road in which to house them. These formed the backbone of the fleet for several decades and a considerable number, although significantly altered, continued in service until the end of conventional tramway operation on 6 November 2011. Following a substantial injection of government funding in January 2008 the failing tramway was revitalised and like a phoenix from the ashes the whole system was modernised and reopened as a Light Rail Transit system in April 2012, with a fleet of new LRT articulated vehicles, which were housed in a new depot at Starr Gate. This book features a wide cross-section of trams that have operated at the seaside resort over the past forty years and follows the line from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, with many comparisons made between the old and new systems.

Animals have featured in the lives and cultures of the people of Merseyside since the dawn of time, and in so many ways. Beastly Merseyside describes this, and tells wonderful stories about these animals, and about the roles they have played. Horses have carried us and our weaponry into battle for millennia, right up to the wars of the twentieth century. They have ploughed our fields, carried our goods, and pulled our carts, wagons, carriages, stagecoaches, canal barges, buses, trams, and ambulances. We have been racing horses on Merseyside for centuries. We have hunted animals for food, from rabbits and ducks to those great leviathans of the sea, the whales. Liverpool's whaling fleet was once one of the most important in Britain. We have also hunted, and in some cases still hunt, animals simply for 'sport'. This has included dog-fighting, cockfighting, bear and bull baiting, as well as fox hunting, hare coursing, and shooting. Animals have entertained us on the streets, in the days of dancing bears and organ grinders' monkeys; in circuses; and in the very many zoos we have had on Merseyside, again over many centuries. Animals have also rescued us, provided comfort to us, and helped us to see and hear. In Beastly Merseyside, popular local historian Ken Pye tells tales about the likes of Mickey the Chimp, Liverpool's own 'King Kong'; the execution of Rajah the Elephant; Pongo the Man Monkey; the amazing Hale Duck Decoy; the 'Lion in the Wheelbarrow'; the nineteenth-century Knowsley Great Aviary and the modern safari park; and why and how the Liver Bird became the emblem of Liverpool. Full of well-researched, informative, and entertaining facts, this book really shows just how vital a role animals of all kinds have played, and continue to play, in our lives and communities.

Wakefield was originally a settlement on the River Calder in West Yorkshire, first Anglo-Saxon, then Viking controlled. After the Norman Conquest, the manor passed to the de Warenne family and Wakefield grew into an important market town in the area. In the Wars of the Roses Richard, Duke of York, was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. Wakefield's prosperity was growing as an inland port and a centre for tanning, the wool trade and coal mining. By the Industrial Revolution, Wakefield was a wealthy town, benefiting from the opening of the Aire & Calder Canal, which enabled it to trade goods, particularly grain and cloth, throughout the country. Wool mills were built in the nineteenth century and Wakefield became the administrative centre in West Riding, given city status in 1888. Although many industries closed in the later decades of the twentieth century, including its extensive coalfields, the city has embarked on a programme of regeneration, which includes the new Hepworth Wakefield art gallery, named after Wakefield-born artist Barbara Hepworth. Through successive centuries the author looks at what has shaped Wakefield's history. Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Wakefield has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the city.

Whitby has a fascinating history, changing roles over the centuries from a religious centre to one of the country's most important ports and later a resort. The king of Northumbria founded the monastery on the headland in the seventh century and installed St Hilda as the first abbess. Although it was abandoned following attacks by Danish raiders who later settled in the area, the abbey was re-established by the Normans. Following Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, the harbour and new industries were developed in Whitby, including alum mining, shipbuilding and transporting coal. Captain James Cook's ships Endeavour and Resolution were originally Whitby colliers. Shipowners, merchants and shipbuilders settled in Whitby and built grand houses, alongside the more humble dwellings of those who worked in the port or local industries. The town was also known for its whaling fleet and the production of jet jewellery. From the eighteenth century the town began to be developed as a resort, with more visitors arriving in the nineteenth century when the railway was built, and today is a popular tourist destination. Through successive centuries the author looks at what has shaped Whitby's history. Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Whitby has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.

Like most European countries, Belgium's main towns and cities developed their own tramway networks. Those that survive today include Brussels, Gent, Antwerpen and Charleroi. In the 1960s both French-speaking Liege and Verviers lost their tramways, though there is a desire in Liege to see it return. In addition to the city systems, there was a rural network of mainly metre gauge tramways throughout the country known as the Vicinal. Tony Martens, though born in Belgium, lived in the UK for most of his life, but started revisiting the country in the 1960s, photographing most of the surviving operations. John Law's first visit to the country was in 1971, accompanying Tony in Brussels, where the last of the Vicinal routes were still operating and four-wheeled trams were running on the city streets. John has been returning to Belgium on a regular basis ever since. Sadly, Tony Martens passed away in early 2019. Fortunately, John Law was able to gain access to Tony's slide collection and, along with his own photographic work, has tapped into this archive to bring you a photographic history of Belgium's trams and trolleybuses from the mid-1960s to the present day.

Dorset, which lies in the south-west of England, boasts a wide variety of spectacular landscapes, from the cliffs and beaches of its Jurassic Coast, its chalk downs and limestone hills, heathland and vales, to its historic towns and villages and other ancient settlements. In Dorset in Pictures, photographer Matthew Pinner takes a fresh look at Dorset, capturing the huge variety of scenery, natural and man-made, that makes Dorset special. For those who live in the county and its many thousands of visitors this book is a must. Look through these photographs and you will quickly see why this corner of England has such enduring appeal.

In 2018, five gas buses using Scania NU280D chassis with stylish AD E40D MMC City bodywork were presented by Nottingham City Council. Then 2019 saw the arrival of another sixty-seven new gas buses, working a variety of routes around the city. The 120 gas buses now operating in the city have impressive environmental credentials, offering an 80 per cent reduction in harmful pollutants. Passengers have also enjoyed greater comfort, with super-fast WiFi, USB charging sockets and audio and visual stop announcements. Here, Scott Poole offers an interesting selection of photographs illustrating these remarkable new buses.

The Stockton & Darlington Railway Company's takeover of half of the 1834 Stanhope & Tyne route, under the guise of the Wear & Derwent Railway, saw the most interesting period in the history of this part of the line. The route, which ran from the limestone quarries above Stanhope to Consett, was now joined to the Stockton & Darlington Railway's network, and the new operators wasted no time in converting the line to locomotive working where possible, building deviations to the original route to get rid of rope-hauled incline working and instead use the distinctive double-tender heavy goods locomotives. This work culminated with the opening of the 150-foot-high Hownes Gill Viaduct and the Burnhill deviation. This book covers the history of the line from 1845, detailing the drastic transformation of the line so that it could serve the mighty ironworks at Consett. It features a wide variety of historic and modern images.

Edinburgh has a fascinating 'Underground City', much of which is open to the public. It is made up of many different aspects, with a turbulent and intriguing past stretching back hundreds of years. Features include hidden passages and cellars, ancient buried streets like Marlyn's Wynd and Mary King's Close (sealed after an outbreak of plague), castle dungeons and escape tunnels, a warren of vaults and chambers under Edinburgh's mighty bridges, abandoned or repurposed rail tunnels, and anomalies like the strange subterranean dwelling of Gilmerton Cove. Award-winning author and historian Jan-Andrew Henderson explores the legendary world beneath the streets and locations of Edinburgh in this pictorial guide.

The 1980s was a decade of immense change in London as well as across the rest of the country, setting in motion social and economic forces that shaped much that we recognise today in the capital, which experienced considerable upheaval in the process. In this book author Alec Forshaw presents a portrait of 1980s London using a selection of previously unpublished photographs by Theo Bergstrm. This was the era of the Big Bang and deregulation of the financial institutions in the City, the abandonment of Fleet Street by the newspaper industry, the demise of the GLC, the beginning of regeneration in Docklands, and the last days of old Billingsgate Market. While some areas witnessed gentrification, spiralling property prices and a myriad of new places to eat out, other places like Brixton and Tottenham were recovering from riots. Bergstrm's evocative images and Forshaw's perceptive text capture a changing and uncertain world on the streets of London.

Captain John Alexander served in the Royal Engineers and was posted to the 17th Indian Division, known as the Black Cats, which was sent into Burma against the Japanese as part of the 14th Army. John's unit was 60 Indian Field Company. After the capture of Hong Kong and the fall of Singapore in February 1942 the Japanese army advanced into Burma, catching the Allies ill-equipped and unprepared. Rangoon fellin March, thus beginning a long fighting retreat by the Allies through thick jungle to the northwest frontier with India. But the Allies regrouped and fought back, and in 1944 fierce fighting, culminating in the battles of the Admin Box, Kohima and Imphal, caused the Japanese forces to begin to withdraw. At the beginning of 1945 the 14th Army launched a successful offensive pushing the Japanese southwards before them. Mandalay was retaken and then Rangoon in May 1945. The Japanese Army finally surrendered on 15 August 1945. Many histories of the Burma Campaign have been written, and the terrible conditions of jungle warfare against a brutal enemy are well known. John Alexander returned home on leave before the end of the conflict with his body weakened by fever, jungle sores and dysentery, and his mind affected by what we now call PTSD. But he also brought back with him a collection of 'souvenirs' from the campaign - artefacts that range from Japanese currency and cigarettes to letters, swords, a bayonet, sketches, and his own diaries, letters and decorations. This book will be a reflection on the personal stories behind this terrible and often forgotten war, looking at the conflict both from a British and a Japanese perspective. Through an examination of these artefacts, the horror and humanity of the combatants who took part in this far-away conflict will be vividly brought to life.

Amid peaceful countryside, past historic towns and through the heart of London, the River Thames flows in an easterly direction for some 346 kilometres from its source in Gloucestershire until entering the North Sea. Over many centuries civilisations have traversed the ancient river by way of fords and early ferries, stone-built bridges, by locks, tunnels and railway lines and, most recently, by motorway crossings. Building methods and designs have changed dramatically over time yet, even now, bridges dating from medieval times still span the river, virtually unaltered since when they were built. Within London, bridges and tunnels, old and new, convey the capital's rail systems, road traffic and pedestrians across the Thames. The Thames and its crossings are ever changing and Geoff Lunn, as he travels downriver from source to sea, navigates the reader through their history and right up to the present day.