Books published by FONTHILL MEDIA LTD

Winston Wicomb was too dark to fit in with his family's efforts to evade the Apartheid era's notorious inspectors and had to hide whenever there was a knock on their door. This is the story of an eternal optimist and profound dreamer who managed to rise from the backstreets of Cape Town to become an internationally recognized transplant pioneer.

The first book to examine Roman record-keeping and communication-one of the key building blocks of civilization and empire. It analyses the role played by these Roman obsessions in what was effectively the Roman equivalent of social media, used to disseminate information, official and private throughout the Roman world.

A comprehensive study of the American Aeroplane building programme of WW1, its promises, its performance, and its failure, together with a summary of what went wrong, and why, including a brief history of military aviation in America prior to the war and details of the Liberty engine and each aircraft type selected for production.

In his many-sided tradition St George, the patron saint of England, has been seen over the centuries as a healer and champion of Christian orthodoxy; as a military martyr and symbol of chivalry; and as a symbol of military virtues and English identity. Today, as that identity changes, he is an inclusive multicultural symbol of unity and justice.

The German army faced a gun-armor race and placed a premium on technological quality and superiority over mass production. The army and Adolf Hitler pushed for larger and more powerful tanks than had ever been built. The heaviest tanks and assault guns developed and fielded by Germany continue to capture interest confirmed by current restorations.

Why did the French lose in 1940? Were their aircraft inferior? Were there stockpiles of unused planes? Was defeat inevitable? Greg Baughen separates the facts from the myths. He describes the problems the French faced, the operations they flew and how, even with the available resources, defeat might have been avoided.

Formed in 1962, Status Quo first hit the charts in 1968 with `Pictures of Matchstick Men'. A run of successful albums followed; 1972 heralded a purple patch in which twelve consecutive LPs charted in the UK top 10. This publication focuses on those days of glory, song by song from their earliest recordings until the demise of the classic line-up.

Marilyn Monroe fascinated and captivated the hearts of millions with her innocence, charm, generosity and kindness, yet, died tragically at 36. With his medical knowledge the author sheds new light on her enigmatic character, this fascinating, yet deeply troubled, former Hollywood icon who is regarded as one of the world's most famous movie stars.

Aboard RAF B-24 Liberators, wireless operator/air gunner Bill Kirkness DFM flew a tour of ops against Japanese targets in Burma. His memoir is a compelling, dignified account of an average man's war from 1942 into 1944 in England, the Mediterranean, Africa, and India. Researcher Matt Poole seamlessly weaves historical detail into Bill's narrative.

Over a period of 400 years, the Capell family built a fortune, and over the next 500 years, lost it due to an incredible number of mistakes, bad judgment calls, and misfortunes. `The Earls of Essex' examines the rise and fall of this family, providing in-depth analysis and judgement on the reasons behind their decline.

Yards, crofts, ginnels and lanes are found in many northern towns. Kendal's yards are special and fascinating to residents and visitors alike. They are a characteristic feature of the town and demonstrate the lively history of the people who lived and worked in them. This history of Kendal's yards is the first detailed, in-depth study of them.

This is the story of the British horror film, with biographies of the stars, directors, and film studios, incisive reviews of key films, and a complete history of the genre. For everyone from beginners to film buffs, from silent movies to the present day via classic Hammer Horrors, the new violence of the '70s, and the zombie craze of recent years.

From the ranks of Hitler's select few grew the SS, a modern praetorian guard which developed into a massive and efficient military-style force with tentacles spreading into all elements of German life. Hitler appointed leaders upon whom he could rely. Many names remain obscure, but this large book highlights who they all were and how they appeared.

From late 1941 Italy had been developing a secret project to arm aircraft carriers with shipboard strategic weapons. Naval architect Lino Campagnoli's archives unveil the plans of a fleet aircraft carrier, the converted Impero battleship, which was to be provided with embarked German V-1 as testified by the blueprints developed in 1941-43.

While the Italian soldier's commitment was not as great as that of the Germans, many Italians fought bravely. The Littorio and Ariete Divisions earned Allied admiration at Tobruk, Gazala, and EI Alamein. Their Army played a significant role as part of the Afrika Korps and made up a large portion of the Axis combat power in North Africa during 1941.

Gunter Horst Beetz was born in Berlin in 1926. Growing up as part of a typical family-his father was a banker, his mother a housewife-he joined the Hitler Youth-somewhat against his wishes-and after a short period manning anti-aircraft guns in Berlin he ultimately found himself in Normandy, fighting the Allies, where he was captured in July 1944.

Canadian Pacific Steamships was a worldwide travel network that included great passenger ships. Their highpoint for that arm might have been in the Twenties & Thirties. First, they had a superb transpacific service, Vancouver to and from the Orient, with four splendid ships providing twice-monthly service. It all hinted of far-off, exotic travel--grand salons, midnight sailings from Shanghai and an Asiatic steerage below decks. On the Atlantic, Canadian Pacific provided a fine service, largely between Liverpool and the St Lawrence, to Quebec City and Montreal. This culminated with the debut, in 1931, of one of the finest liners of the twentieth century, the giant 'Empress of Britain'. An exquisite ship both inside and out, she made luxurious world cruises in winter--like a big yacht! The stories of these ships on both oceans is told in this new book. Some were scrapped prematurely, others casualties of war and still others restored and reactivated for Canadian Pacific liner services in the late Forties and into the Fifties. Altogether, it is a fascinating group of ships, well deserving of another review.

Bermuda was besieged by German and Italian U-boats in the Second World War, representing an ignominious period of defence and defeat for the Allies. It was a small but fascinating body of water, and a bellwether for the overall war at the time. This book will add colourful new content to the history of the Second World War.

ELO were formed by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne as a fusion of rock and classically-influenced music with strings. After their 1971 debut, Wood left and Lynne took them into more commercial pastures. They disbanded in 1986, but Lynne returned with an album in 2001 and as Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2014. This book examines all their studio albums in detail.

This history of Soviet Strategic bombers after the Second World War deals with the development not just of service aircraft, but of experimental aircraft and projects that were never built as well. It will cover the service life of bombers, both active and retired, will be covered, and their use outside the Soviet Union will also be described.

This book is set within the Cold War and is told through the lens of a RAF Pilot's Flying Log Book. It contains anecdotes that put flesh to the logbooks in an exciting and amusing way: it is full of exciting sorties, dangerous emergencies, stupid moments, and funny occurrences, but also shows the dangers of operating in the Cold War.

The Hawker Hurricane: without which there would not have been a Battle of Britain. This rugged fighter operated in all climates, from the Arctic to North Africa and Asia. Hurricanes were flown from merchant ships on convoy protection against hostile Luftwaffe Condors. They also served with Allied Air Forces during and after the War.