The History of Skipton

The History of Skipton is the most comprehensive history of the town for almost 150 years. The book focuses on the life of ordinary Skipton townsfolk and their health, hygiene, work and recreation. Covering the period from the Norman Conquest to the 21st century, The History of Skipton uses long-forgotten reports and archives to reveal many details which have never been published before.

RAF 100 Group - Kindred Spirits

This remarkable book brings together for the first time writings of RAF 100 Group who, during WWII, flew secret operations deep into the heart of Germany - identifying and jamming enemy radar, working with Bletchley Park and the Y-Service, supporting SOE and the Resistance.Over 55,000 men died in Bomber Command, the highest casualty rate of any Unit. On VE Day, Churchill praised those who contributed to victory, with one glaring omission - Bomber Command, of which this Group was a valued part. What happened to his stirring words: ‘The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the means of victory'?Seventy years on, RAF 100 Group remains shrouded in mystery, their families unaware as veterans take their secrets to the grave.This book represents a tribute, a Memorial, proof of their existence, finally giving them recognition so richly deserved.

Kendall's Longitude

Lost at sea: every mariner’s fear.Maritime navigational tools could find latitude, but finding longitude remained elusive until Harrison developed the reliable sea clock, H4. Building on H4’s success, Kendall made a series of nautical timekeepers, K1, K2 and K3. This is the story of the K2 timekeeper; its adventurous voyages, the people it touched, and its place in history. K2’s first voyage, accompanied by the young Nelson, was nearly its last in the crushing Arctic ice. The next two expeditions saw it survive kidnappings, nautical intrigue, and gunpowder plots of the American revolutionary wars. The slave coasts of Africa followed.Bligh took K2 on the Bounty, but lost it in a fight with the mutineers in 1789. It was recovered by an American Quaker from Nantucket, only to be stolen by the Spanish. It rode on mules along the Andes before sailing into the Opium Wars. K2 finally returned to Greenwich in 1963.DRAMATIC, THREE NATION 'STORY OF TIME'

From Our House to Penthouse

From Our House to Penthouse takes you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane to a London that disappeared not so long ago. Pubs gutted to make way for coffee chains! Arenas and cinemas bulldozed to make way for hotels! Dog tracks and football grounds now apartments!London went through a huge change in the first two decades of the 21st century, and From Our House to Penthouse pays homage to the venues and places that were lost in that time. Featuring photos of iconic London landmarks that no longer exist, author Matthew Bazell has compiled a historical record to keep memories alive.

A History of London through Beer Goggles

Discover stories and parts of London that you may not have known. All of this done whilst visiting some of London’s oldest pubs.From the Great Fire of London to the Church-run prostitutes of Southwark.From cock fighting to the famous Cock Lane Ghost.From Shakespeare to Shrek.From St Paul’s Cathedral to the inspiration for wedding cakes.Take a journey through the streets of London and discover things you never knew.A must for all who live and work in London, as well as visitors to our great city.What better way could there be than to have a drink and a walk around the parts of the city you have probably never visited. Hidden gems abound.

Surgery: An Unfamiliar History

This is a fascinating account of surgery that throws light on forgotten and unknown aspects of its practice from antiquity to the present. It illuminates the rare periods of progress and also explains why there were lengthy times when no original operations were undertaken.Maybury has achieved this by identifying the time and place when each operation was first undertaken. The first of these was the trephination of the skull in Peru twelve thousand years ago, presumably to exorcise evil spirits. This operation over several thousand years reached Europe where Hippocrates described and rationalised it to treat head injuries, it is still practiced today and is the forerunner of each subsequent original operation.The golden ages of surgery took place in Ancient Greece and India and 1,300 years later in Western Europe and the USA. Between these periods, no original operations took place. Maybury explains why this happened and reveals the Greek theory that dominated surgery for over 2,000 years. He describes the passage and translation of the Greek manuscripts and their acceptance in the Arabian Empires and how in turn the Arabic versions strongly influenced Italy and then Western Europe. He also tells of the Edict of Tours of 1163 that devastated surgery and took 700 years to rectify and also the extraordinary modern era when all the tissues of the body were finally operated upon and very much more. 

Tightrope: Finland and Hungary in the Cold War

Finland and Hungary both fought on the losing side in WWII. Yet the former was able to resist the overwhelming power of its Soviet neighbour, while Hungary, whose status was uncertain until 1947, was not. Could the revolt of 1956 have been a turning point? How did the Helsinki Accords contribute to the end of the Cold War?

The Living History of Medicine

The history of medicine is a living one and involves much more than reflecting on the battles that have been won or lost in the ever-changing struggle against disease. The living history really lies within man himself and too often the human side of this story is neglected. As doctors, we have been trained to focus on the signs of disease and consequently, we pay little attention to the people who discovered them. When we read in our pathology texts about the interesting triad of defects in an illness such as Hand-Schuller-Christian disease, we tend to forget about the doctors who faced great personal hardships to bring us the information we now use to treat the disorder.

Dr Treacy is recognised as one of the most influential aesthetic practitioners in the world. He was awarded ‘Top Aesthetic Practitioner in the World’ (2019) and ‘Doctor of the Year’ UK & Ireland (2019). In this fascinating book, he takes us on a journey with Osler’s famed ‘Goddess of Medicine’ and explains how she is continually on the move, fleeing from battles, tyranny, and oppression, seeking to find a home where man can have study pathology in peace. She has moved from Edinburgh to Dublin, from London to Vienna, from Berlin to Maryland, then onwards to California to guide doctors in the wonders of new technologies, translating the genetic blueprint, manipulating defects in the data code of our existence and help us all fight the more complex diseases like the coronaviruses of the new millennium.

The Evolution of Aesthetic Medicine

The birth and exponential growth of aesthetic medicine has been phenomenal. Recent technical innovation in aesthetic devices and products, coupled with an ever-increasing awareness of physical appearance and a rise in disposable income has boosted the demand for this field of medicine beyond all expectations. Its market size is presently valued at USD 60 billion and is anticipated to continue to expand at a CAGR of 10%.

Now comes a book, written by one of the pioneers of this field of medicine who started one of the first aesthetic clinics in the world from his apartment in Dublin in 1999. Since then, he has built clinics around the world and won multiple international awards for his own innovations and advanced techniques, including ‘Top Aesthetic Physician in the World’ in 2019.

The Enigma of Modern Italy

Forget the sunshine and pasta image of Italy, and discover a world of dark forces that conspire to undermine a vulnerable democracy.

Following their defeat in World War Two, the Italians set about restoring their shattered country to create the ‘economic miracle’ of the ’60s and establish a democratic republic. Yet all is not well. The ‘hot autumn’ crisis of 1969 unleashes deep-rooted protests from workers and students dissatisfied with the status quo. Events are further compounded by Fascist plots pitted against left wing terrorist attacks, all conspiring to bring down a fragile state. A state destabilized by self-serving politicians, intent on feathering their own nests at the citizens’ expense.

If you love intrigue, conspiracy and double-dealing, this book is for you.

Robin Hood - The New Evidence

The story of Robin Hood is very well known. Writers and historians have been reading and rewriting it, analysing and altering it since Ritson published his version in 1795, more than 200 years ago. The story has been published in many forms, including books, films, TV and radio programs, articles held in the World Wide Web and probably many others. As far as can be ascertained, they all have two things in common: they all contain many errors and they all fail to explain a number of mysteries.

In his book, Geoff Wilson has corrected many of the errors and has explained many of the mysteries. This he has done by accessing many surprising sources of evidence, including, for example, the British Geological Survey, aerial photography and by following on foot several of Robin Hood’s journeys described in the ballads. Practical tests were also carried out. The author’s sons (both quite young at the time) were encouraged to shout at the top of their voices in one particular location to test if sounds do in fact echo in the valleys. They do.

Among the mysteries solved are the identities of Sir Richard at the Lee and the location of Verysdale and the Village of Lee. The ‘fayre castell’ described in the Gest is also identified, as is the chapel in Barnsdale dedicated to Mary Magdalene and described in stanza 440 of the Gest. One mystery which remains unresolved, however, is the identity of Robin himself. Perhaps he is, after all, just a yeoman named Robin Hood, although the claims of an alternative candidate are seriously considered.

Just Before the Dawn

JUST BEFORE THE DAWN is a ‘snap-shot’ of four former African colonies as they approached independence at the end of the 1950s. It is also a travel book based on the author’s experience and adventures whilst living and working at that time in Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Ruanda-Urundi (as they were then called) and Kenya. The book touches on those countries’ differing histories, both ancient and recent. It also offers the reminiscences of an elderly man pondering his first experiences of the worlds of work, and of love. The book’s leitmotif is dawn, along with its challenges: the coming dawn of change in those four countries, and in the author’s personal life. Additionally, he describes the magnificent dawn he experienced while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, as seen on this cover.Some of the comments on the author’s book on Russia:‘A calm and objective witness for the truth’ – John Le Carré‘It affords twin pleasures of content and style’ – a reader in France‘An excellent book’ – Lord Wright of Richmond, former Head of the Diplomatic Service‘A fascinating account of conflicts and tensions’ – The Church Times‘Extraordinarily observant’ – Andrei Voznesensky, poet