Books published by Amberley Publishing

The Western Region has been going through a period of great transition, and this book aims to document these changes, such as the rebranding of First Great Western as Great Western Railway and the replacement of the High Speed Train (HST) fleet with the new Hitachi Intercity Express Train (IET) fleet. There has also been an extensive electrification and modernisation project on the Great Western Main Line between London, Bristol and South Wales, along with numerous rolling stock upgrades and changes. Also included are interesting workings around the region such as railtours and unusual visitors, as well a variety of freight workings and images taken on the heritage railways in the area, many of which have had changes of their own.

Nuneaton, the largest town in Warwickshire, sits on an important railway crossroads in the Midlands. At its Trent Valley station, the busy West Coast Main Line heads broadly north to south with the important link between Birmingham and Leicester crossing east to west. An equally important line heads south-east from the town, through Coventry and Leamington Spa, carrying local passengers as well as an important freight link with the docks at Southampton. This line to Coventry and beyond has had a chequered past and was one of many victims of the Beeching Axe before, fortunately, reopening to passengers in the late 1980s. The author has spent many thousands of hours watching and photographing rail movements through Nuneaton station. This publication takes a look at the considerable variety of both passenger and freight traffic on offer to the enthusiast, ranging from the everyday to the unexpected.

In this book, author Alan Brooke highlights the historic gates of the City of London: Cripplegate, Aldgate, Aldersgate, Bishopsgate, Ludgate, Newgate and Moorgate. Originating in Roman times, they remained until they were all demolished between 1760 and 1767. Blue plaques mark six of their sites, and a bishop's mitre on a building shows where Bishopsgate once stood. This book examines the history of the gates, with chapters devoted to each one. A shorter section offers a summary of some of the water gates on the River Thames, including Billingsgate and Bridge Gate, where goods were unloaded from ships. Additionally, there were pedestrian-only gates such as Tower Gate and the postern gate at the Tower of London. There were also the Bars, the most famous of which is Temple Bar, which can still be seen at Paternoster Square. Illustrated throughout with archive material, photographs of present-day locations and a map, Gates of the City of London provides an important addition to the many books on London's rich and diverse history.

East Lancashire Coachbuilders was first registered in October 1934 when two former Massey Bros of Wigan employees decided to set up their own company in Blackburn. Their names were George Danson and Alfred Alcock. Over the next seven decades they supplied both single- and double-deck bodywork to most, if not all, Lancashire municipal bus operators, plus a number of south coast operators. The majority of photographs in this book have been taken by the author, and are mostly previously unpublished.

In the 1970s the introduction of the merry-go-round coal trains required a far more powerful loco, leading to the 3300 hp Class 56 being built. For general freight services, the Class 60 was developed. Both these types suffered from reliability problems in their early years. Several large stone companies in Somerset became frustrated with the constant loco problems that BR were having and decided to order their own locos, choosing General Motors in the USA to supply them. This resulted in the Class 59, which started service in 1986 and proved to be so effective that other Railfreight operators followed suit and ordered what became Class 66. Eventually, more than 400 entered service. This book of mostly unpublished colour photographs, taken by George Woods between 1966 until 2019, show the locos hauling a variety of trains all over the BR system.

The Marches - the border area between Wales and England - was semi-independent during much of the Middle Ages and today retains a special character. In this book author John Kinross explores the country houses built over the centuries in the border areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire, west Cheshire, west Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Powys and Denbighshire. Areas characterised by their rural beauty, often wild and remote, are home to some of the most interesting country houses in England and Wales. Some, such as Powis Castle, are built on the site of an ancient fortress, while others, such as Berrington Hall, typify the Georgian stately home or Victorian wealth on a grand scale, such as Stokesay Court or the more intimate villa of Sunnycroft. This fascinating portrait of the country houses of the Marches, all of which are open to the public, will interest all those who know the area well and those who wish to know more about the history of its country houses.

Until the last quarter of the twentieth century Maltese buses had generally had locally constructed bodywork, often a modified chassis of UK or American origin. A variety of liveries was carried. By the mid-1970s, out went the traditional liveries to be replaced by a uniform 'spray green' with white roof for route buses, while coaches initially carried a livery of buff and white. The start of the 1980s saw the importation of complete vehicles from the UK. AEC Swifts were sourced from London Transport, while a variety of Bedford and Ford coaches started to appear carrying bodies by Plaxton and Duple. Other types included Bristol LH, AEC Reliance, Leyland Leopard, Tiger Cub and Panther Cub. In typical Maltese fashion vehicles were often modified with different axles, engines and gearboxes, bodies rebuilt and, in some cases, replaced totally. In 1995, the livery changed to yellow/white with an orange waistband and continued so until 2011.

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was executed on 19 May 1536. Her sister Mary, rumoured mistress to the monarch, lived on and survived the king's wrath. But this is not the end of the tale of the Boleyns and the British Royal family - their stories have remained entwined for almost 500 years, through countless wars, crises and triumphs. In this book, Amanda Harvey Purse delves into the archives to tell the remarkable story of a number of individuals who form part of the Boleyn bloodline, spanning the worlds of the military, art and politics. Among those featured are Robert Devereux, executed for treason after leading an army against the government in the early seventeenth century; Lettice Knollys, banished from the court of Elizabeth I after marrying the wrong man; and Cecilia Nina BowesLyon, the grandmother of and godmother to Elizabeth II, who married Claude Bowes-Lyon and played a significant role in the convalescence of soldiers during the First World War.

Marking 90 years of London Transport, this selection of images celebrates its buses, trams and trolleybuses in preservation.

The fascinating hidden history of the British royal family's nearly men - those who had been destined for the throne, but never made it. Mantle explores the story behind these would-be-kings, showing how the question of succession has not always been a straightforward one.

Get to know this distinguished group on an intimate level by discovering what they ate and drank, how their houses were furnished, what possessions were most important to them, the pastimes they enjoyed, the people they loved, the friends they hated, and the lives they led.

A unique celebration of Lothian Buses and the city of Edinburgh, featuring previously unpublished images of buses sharing the scene with Edinburgh's spectacular buildings.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Victorian icon, engineer, artist, architect, designer and visionary, entrepreneur and celebrity. His astounding feats changed the British landscape, and this new book tells the story of his awe-inspiring achievements and innovations as a railway engineer.

The First British Empire is an authoritative, highly readable and substantial account of the origins, growth and transformation of the British Empire from its European beginnings until the aftermath of the American Revolution.

A fascinating collection of merged historic and modern images that reflect the changes in Wallasey through the decades.

A fascinating exploration of prehistoric Sussex from the Palaeolithic era to the Iron Age and the Roman invasion.

A fascinating photographs of an eclectic selection of emergency service vehicles in northern Europe.

Packed with insider insights, this is the fascinating story of how the company fundamentally changed the industry. An essential read for anybody interested in the UK bus scene.

Superb rare and unseen photographs of these oft-ignored workhorses. Looking at some of the vehicles in use by local authorities, from Devon to Scotland, since the 1970s.

The story of Leeds United from 1980 to 2000 when the club crashed and burned and then rose from the ashes to become the last First Division champions, before approaching the Millennium full of expectations for their dynamic young team.

A wonderful collection of 180 photographs, some previously unpublished, celebrating the London's Low-floor Buses in Exile.

The beautiful county of Wiltshire is one of the most popular of English counties. Here is a collection of strange tales and local legends from the county.

The epic story of Aeneas takes place at the time of the fall of Troy and the rise of Rome, but was Aeneas in fact a real person? In Search of Aeneas opens a fresh window onto the ancient world for all students of general history.

Rare and previously unpublished images celebrating Britain's diesel express trains, including the famous InterCity 125.

An interesting array of fascinating images illustrate how coach styles have developed over the years.

With a wealthy of previously unpublished images comes a photographic celebration of class 08 locomotives on Scotland's railways.

A celebration of Gloucester's rich heritage and identity - its special events, achievements, people, industry and landmarks.

A celebration of Sunderland's rich heritage and identity - its people, significant events and achievements across the centuries.