World War One - The Meakin Diaries - Sheffield in the Trenches

In 1915, the newlywed Frank Meakin signed up to the new Sheffield City Battalion and joined the fight for King and Country in the First World War. Although diaries were forbidden during active service, Frank rebelliously and comprehensively kept one throughout his whole service - from 1915 until he was discharged in 1918, 22 days before his Battalion disbanded. Through these diaries we can see the horrors of life on the Western Front first hand; from the Battle of the Somme and its aftermath, to the horrendous conditions in the trenches and the disillusionment of these young soldiers. This is a prosaic and fascinating insight into the Great War through the eyes of a survivor, brought to life 100 years on.

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?

They Never Reigned

British kings and queens are famous today. But many heirs to the British throne never became the actual king or queen due to various quirks of fate. This is their story. The stories include the oldest son of William the Conqueror, who lost the chance to become king because he was off fighting in the First Crusade; the White Ship disaster of 1120, England’s medieval Titanic, in which the sole male heir to the throne, and many others, drowned; an intrepid woman who nearly became queen in her own right four centuries before a woman actually did so; two princes who should have become a second King Arthur; the romantic warrior known to history as the Black Prince; the Princes in the Tower, who were supposedly murdered by King Richard III; the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots, beheaded by Queen Elizabeth I after an utterly unfair trial; James, who was born the heir and then was overthrown while still a baby, and was later known as the Old Pretender; a beloved Nineteenth Century princess who tragically died in childbirth at the age of 21; and many more.

Who suspected that the heirs who never reigned are every bit as interesting as those who did reign?

The Start: Origin of Civilisation

Questions have always been raised about the origins of the world’s first civilisation and why they chose such an inhospitable land to start their quest. The people looked and sounded different from the surrounding clans and seemed to appear from nowhere. They didn’t just survive, they prospered and built cities with advanced methods of agriculture not even attained today in the region. This book provides evidence of where they came from: an indigenous people of both the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf Oasis, a fertile land rich in animals and vegetation. This was eventually consumed by the world's rising sea levels in 7,200 BC, forcing the apocalypse-stricken populace to abandon their home and seek refuge in the rest of the surrounding higher lands. They brought with them advancements never seen before whilst utilising the sparse raw materials at their disposal.

The Sacred Divine Mothers (Iyami)

Reading this book will stretch the boundaries of sacred knowledge as you immerse yourself in a primordial ocean of revelations.Our Mothers (Iyami) are the super powerful cosmological Divine Mothers (Super Goddesses), who throughout the annals of history are known by a thousand names. They are the right-hand counsel to the Supreme Creator, an inextricable force of creation who sustain all life.The name Iyami relates to the Yoruba religion of West Africa, yet their expansiveness is worldwide, having been revered throughout the woman’s mysteries since time immemorial. They were present on Earth before humans arrived here. They are considered cosmic, primordial and ancestral, their essence is multi-layered.Throughout history, we find them in roles of great power, counsels to the ruling elite, or as matrilineal High Priestesses. Their aim is to ensure justice, harmony and balance in the inner and outer realms, guaranteeing the survival of not only this planet, but others in the universal eco-system encompassing every being who fights to maintain the light of the Creator.His-story has committed acts of genocide against the Divine Feminine hierarchy in subduing and usurping her station in favour of a materialistic and violent patriarchal system. Any woman who exhibited her innate feminine magical powers became hunted, tortured, killed and labelled as witches. Yet now it is time, more so than ever, for the Divine Feminine Iyami to return and to rise once more here on Earth, as is the birthright for every female alive today and their children’s children.

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 Flight of the Last Stuart King

In 1798, when Napoleon invades Rome, Cardinal Henry Stuart, the last direct heir of the royal House of Stuart, is forced to flee south to seek refuge in the Kingdom of Naples. This is only the beginning of an adventurous two-year journey that drives him on to Sicily, Corfu, Padua and Venice, bringing him into contact with many key figures of the period, like Horatio Nelson, Lord and Lady Hamilton, the volatile Queen of Naples, the spy master Spiridion Foresti, the Ottoman commander Bey Abdul-Kadir and the reluctant Pope Pius VII, elected after a stormy conclave and crowned with a papier-mâché tiara. Set against the background of the Napoleonic wars and one of the most turbulent periods of change in European history, the flight of Henry IX, the Jacobite’s last Stuart king, is a little known and extraordinary story.

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.

South Benfleet

Look inside and find out…

Whom did the church bells ring for and why…?

Who grew up in Benfleet and became a renowned natural history film-maker?

What was the pen name of the creator of Impossible People?

Whose mother was denounced from the pulpit of St Mary’s and why?

Which flaky aristocrat trashed the Hoy just prior to the First World War?

Where was the first mini-roundabout in this country located?

Who saved the horses but not his boat?

What name connects Benfleet Hall in Essex with the one in Surrey?

Who fought with the Canadian ‘Rough Riders’ in the First World War?

What was only second in size to that in Peterborough?

What was the favourite colour of Lily Tingey?

How many voters were on the electoral roll for South Benfleet in the 1832 elections?

Who was chastised for landing on the wreck of Richard Montgomery?

What was the pen name of William Mecham?

Who built their own ferro-cement ketch and sailed the world?

Who got dumped in the horse trough and what was the pretext?

Amongst other things…

Some Corner of a Foreign Field

“Even after capture, the full horrors of war still persisted. Bombed and strafed by our own planes, and shelled by our own artillery, the words ‘For you the war is over, Tommy,’ had a hollow ring…November 1942, after five months in Suani Ben Adem, we sailed from Tripoli, en route to Naples. We were held in the hold of a coal boat, battened down, with only a few buckets for sanitation purposes. Packed in like sardines, we would have had no chance of survival, had the ship come under attack from the Royal Navy, not an uncommon occurrence.”

These are the words of Private Bill Blewitt, 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters, captured near Gazala in the Western Desert. He survived his capture, but over a thousand did not.

Laid to rest alongside the battle casualties in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries in Italy are these prisoners of war. They died from neglected wounds or diseases, were accidentally or deliberately shot both inside and outside their camps or were victims of friendly fire incidents. Some lost their lives when trying to cross the mountains to freedom, and some were betrayed by spies. Some had taken up arms again, had fought with the partisans and had died alongside them. Others had been captured whilst on dangerous missions and summarily executed. Many, but not all, have a name.

Six Miles from Home

Six Miles from Home chronicles the compelling events of one of the UK's worst urban air disasters that claimed the lives of 72 passengers and crew. Drawing on 20 years of meticulous research and extensive interviews with all those involved, the author has produced a truly remarkable and compelling book. Full of suspense and high drama, it tells a powerful account of death and survival, with compassion and understanding that leaves the reader with lasting images. As an analysis of the disaster and how it changed lives forever, this account is an important social record. The book is the achievement of a skilful writer who is passionate about his subject. This is the author's fourth book on civilian aviation accidents; in addition, he has contributed numerous articles on the subject for newspapers and magazines. He has also taken part in a number of television documentaries. Based in Cheshire, his previous books include, The Munich Air Disaster, which deals with the Manchester United tragedy; and The Devil Casts His Net, which chronicles the events surrounding the Winter Hill air disaster.