Books published by Mortons Media Group

Deep-mined coal is no longer produced in the United Kingdom - the last of the country's collieries was closed at the end of 2015, causing the sun to set on a vast industry that at one time boasted 3,000 mines and employed well over a million workers. The Rise and Fall of King Coal tells the fascinating story of coal... from its origins in prehistoric swamps to its early primitive mining methods and to its role as the mineral that fuelled the Industrial Revolution and put the 'Great' into Britain. It explores the history and operation of the collieries and their railways, explains the location of the coalfields and examines the hazards, hardships, disputes and tragedies that were part of every miner's life. Finally, with Britain now possessing only a handful of opencast and tiny drift mines while still importing millions of tons of coal from overseas, the UK's energy policy is examined at a time when many Britons are worrying whether it is sufficiently fit for purpose

The latest jet fighters deceive, evade, confuse, lock-on to their targets and kill them without being seen, heard or detected. Pilots can increasingly put themselves outside their cockpit, peering far beyond visual range, leaving the aircraft to keep them out of harm¿s way while they manage the mission. In Fifth Generation Fighters, author David Baker explains how netcentric  warfare and sensor fusion takes the fight into the very heart of the weapons systems computer, tracking up to 100 hostiles and downing many beyond visual range. He also looks at how future fighters will connect to satellites, control swarms of unmanned combat air vehicles and plan the end-game for an air battle that has yet to begin. The clock is ticking ¿ a fifth generation fighter war is coming!

Triumph is truly one of the most enduringly popular names in motorcycling. The word itself literally means to win and Triumph the motorcycle maker has been for the most part of its 100-plus years been a world-class winner.

The Settle & Carlisle railway runs across the roof of England, reaching the highest point on any main line railway in the country. Today it carries a frequent and well-patronised passenger service and considerable heavy long-distance freight traffic.

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is the undisputed king of fighter aircraft, scoring around 105 kills for zero losses in air-to-air combat. Designed as a pure air superiority machine, the Eagle has since become one of the best fighter-bombers in its class: the Strike Eagle.   Since it entered service in 1976, around 1600 F-15s have been built for six air forces around the world. Fast and agile, the Eagle has been the defensive tip of the spear for the Free World. The Israelis blooded the Eagle in the Middle East when they first took delivery in 1979. Since then both fighter and strike versions have been in almost constant action, through Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and beyond in the war against terror

The last great age of steam in Britain is revisited in this new collection of superb photographs from the extensive archive of the Railway Magazine. Author Pete Kelly, editor of The Railway Magazine Guide to Modelling, looks back to a time when streamlined steam express trains charged headlong through the English countryside every day of the week. The 1930s would see a host of iconic engines constructed - such as the legendary LNER A4s, the beautiful LMS Coronation Class locos, the rare LMS Princess Royal Class and the workhorse LNER Class V2 engines built in large numbers for mixed traffic. This new volume collects rare images offering a glimpse of the days when these incredible engines could be found hard at work all over Britain.

Few aircraft encompass as many contradictions as the Fairey Swordfish - the legendary 'Stringbag' naval torpedo bomber was approaching antiquation at the start of the war yet struck mortal blows against some of the most powerful battleships in the Axis fleets.

Progress on the English Electric Canberra was the main topic of a report written by W E W `Teddy¿ Petter on June 17, 1948, but a final paragraph headed `High Speed Fighter¿ said, `Requirements for a high speed fighter are being sent to us ... There would probably be two or three prototypes attached to a successful design and a reasonable chance of production orders. Supersonic speeds would be required for short periods.¿ This marked the beginning of the effort leading to production of the legendary Lightning fighter. English Electric Lightning Genesis and Projects examines how that effort evolved ¿ focusing on the procurement process and the factors that drove decisions about the aircraft configuration and its weapon system. In particular, author Tony Wilson looks at how other procurement programmes influenced choices about the Lightning for good or ill.Between English Electric project numbers P1 and P34 there were 15 project numbers associated with the Lightning. Some refer to development steps in the aircraft¿s core programme but others were studies to extend the aircraft¿s capabilities. These designs are explored too along with proposed developments that were never given `P¿ numbers.

A prodigious talent stalked by controversy, celebrity chef John Burton-Race has always lived life on the edge, and remains nothing if not pragmatic. This is his story.

This handy guide has walks of varying lengths and levels from simple strolls to more challenging rambles. All feature the varied and beautiful scenery the Dee Valley has to offer."