-
London's Firefighters
London's Firefighters is a wonderfully readable, lavishly illustrated
anthology of articles, fiction and verse about the London Fire Brigade,
most of it gathered from the Brigade's house magazines London Fireman
(1966-82) and London Firefighter (1982-2005).
The book's editor David C. Pike, himself a retired firefighter, has cleverly
selected material that delivers both a comprehensive history of the
London Fire Brigade and a fascinating portrait of individual firemen
and women, at work and (occasionally) at play. The book includes
vivid, occasionally harrowing articles on important events involving the
Brigade - the Sidney Street Siege of 1911, the London Blitz and the 1981
Brixton riots, to name just a few - as well as covering key figures within
the Brigade like James Braidwood and Massey Shaw. The more personal
sections provide a revealing insight into the bravery, commitment and
camaraderie of ordinary working firefighters and their families.
The numerous, often highly dramatic illustrations, many from the London
Fire Brigade's own collection, offer a lively commentary on the text.
All the profits from this book will go to the Fire Service charity,
Firemen Remembered.
David Pike was a London firefighter for more than 30 years, retiring at
senior rank in 1996. His first book, Beyond the Flames, was published by
Austin Macauley in 2013.
‘A fascinating peek into the world of the London Fire Brigade. A finalist
and highly recommended.'
The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2014/15, on Beyond the Flames£3.50 -
Living Through The Great War at Home: How the People of Bromley Faced the Challenges of War
Living Through the Great War at Home tells the story of the people of Bromley from the month before the outbreak of war to the Armistice in 1918 and the celebration of peace in July 1919. Although it shows how men were mobilised, volunteered, conscripted and left to ‘follow the colours’, it is a book about the people of Bromley and how their lives were challenged and changed during the war, how they supported their own boys in the army, how they dealt with the problems of war, the restrictions of DORA (Defence of the Realm Act) and the threat and reality of the Zeppelin raids. We learn of the generosity of the people in supporting their ‘boys’, caring for the Belgian refugees and the wounded—the VAD hospitals and how women rose to the challenge, both in terms of filling the gaps in the workforce left by the men and struggling to put food on the table as rising prices and shortages finally led to rationing. The work is based on real information from the local newspaper, together with research to put them into context and understand the stories better.
£3.50 -
Lines of Escape
In January 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded New Guinea, landing on the northern coastal areas of this harsh, remote country.
This book recounts the desperate efforts of missionaries, along with groups of downed allied airmen, ANGAU (Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit), officials and members of the 39th militia Battalion, to escape the invading Japanese army.
Following each groups harrowing story as they made their way through the energy sapping heat of the Papuan jungle, skirmished with Japanese troops, grappled with the, at times dubious, loyalties of the Papuans they encountered, and tried to survive.
Lines of Escape also details the incredible mission undertaken by Australian forces to cripple the Japanese air base at Salamaua.
£3.50 -
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
£3.50 -
It's Not Necessarily Myth
Many people in the last century, and even today, have argued about the possibility of aliens coming to Earth with science and technology more advanced than our own. Usually, they base their proof on things like unusual phenomena and strange archaeological findings.
However, in this book, Dr Perry argues that the proof of aliens is actually hidden in world mythology. He believes that certain clues about the super modern world are hidden in myths and we have to decode them. For example, he takes the myths of Prometheus, Iris, Sisyphus, Apollo and others and interprets them as machines, devices and different kinds of weapons.
The purpose of this book is to decipher these clues and thus prove that intelligent extra-terrestrial beings visited the Earth thousands of years ago. The additional purpose of publishing this book is to cause individuals, more intelligent and professional, to join this field of deciphering mythology. If these experts decode new information of which we are not yet aware, it will be a decisive proof of alien existence in our distant past.£3.50 -
Into the labyrinth: in search of Daidalos
Daidalos was a polymath who foreshadowed Leonardo da Vinci by 3,000 years and was famed as an artist, inventor, scientist and engineer. Despite his many talents and his contributions to the advancement of humanity, his interactions with those he knew resulted in mayhem, and this is what makes his life so fascinating. First of all, he was responsible for the death of three close relatives – his son, his sister and his nephew. Secondly, his actions resulted in the death of King Minos who was a son of Zeus. Thirdly, he was involved in both the creation and destruction of the monstrous bull-human hybrid known as the minotaur. Finally, the lives of two of the most important women of Crete, Queen Pasiphae (the daughter of the sun god, Helios) and her daughter, Ariadne, were devastated by his interventions. It could be argued that his actions contributed to the downfall of the Minoan civilization and its subjugation by the Mycenaeans. This book is the story of his fascinating life, the times in which he lived and the legacy he has left us.
£3.50 -
Insurrection
‘Damn bad place Sheffield,’ said King George Ill, reflecting on the town’s reputation as a hotbed of radicalism with revolutionary tendencies, a reputation it maintained for much of the 19th century, augmented by the numerous times that the Riot Act was read to the Sheffield mob. Yet few Sheffield riots were in the name of revolution. They were more to do with social inequalities, injustice and deprivation, only the Chartists’ rising and connections with the Pentrich rising came close to revolution. The price of provisions, the lack of democracy, oppression and perceived assaults on social norms by new religious movements were the dominant causal factors of social disorder in the Sheffield of the 18th and 19th centuries, the protagonists being coal owners, market traders, magistrates, politicians, the police, the militia, resurrectionists, Wesleyans, Mormons and Salvationists. A personal dispute and an attempted robbery also brought out sections of the Sheffield townsfolk in protest and riot. Some of the events in this book will be familiar to the student of Sheffield’s history; some of the events will amaze them; all of the events detailed in Insurrection will fascinate the general reader.
£3.50 -
Imperial India: A Pictorial History
Magnificent palaces, forts and fortresses, victory towers and memorials, among others, are the living symbols of imperial lavishness in India. The book describes and illustrates royal edifices from Agra, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Hyderabad, Lahore, Madras, Poona, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Simla. The physical history of the above architecture is juxtaposed with social history of the time, for example, segregation of the British rulers from their subjects, and habits and customs of the colonial rulers and Indian and Burmese princes. The cultural history of the times is captured by the establishment of Shakespearean theatre, musical comedies and drama in the Indian sub-continent. Transport history is addressed through a discussion and illustration of Indian railways, among the largest transport networks in the world. My private and rare collection of vintage postcards published in Germany and the UK between 1905 and 1910 is the main source of illustrations in the book.
£3.50 -
I Found Atlantis
In this book, the author takes readers on a journey back in time to the origins of the Atlanteans. Explore the citadel built by Poseidon and discover the truth behind the myth of Atlantis. Uncover the story of how the Atlanteans were forced to flee rising floodwaters and where they went. Through historical evidence and research, this book aims to prove that Atlantis is not just a myth, but a real and fascinating part of our history.
£3.50 -
Henry VIII’s Narrow Escape
In 1536, King Henry VIII faced a major rebellion called The Pilgrimage of Grace, in opposition to the religious changes being imposed by the king and his ministers. The rebels, based mainly in the north of England, were particularly keen to defend the monasteries against the government’s attempt to close them down. This book tells the story of the struggle for Sawley Abbey on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire near Clitheroe and how close Henry VIII came to a disastrous defeat there. The involvement of other northern monasteries in the struggle to save Sawley, at Whalley and Furness, is also explored. In his dealings with all three of these monasteries, Henry enjoyed great fortune and a very narrow escape. This is the story of how close these monasteries came to destroying Henry VIII and changing the entire course of English history.
£3.50 -
Frankfurt: Where Germany Meets the World
Frankfurt is at the crossroads of Europe. It is where for a thousand years the major trade routes between Amsterdam-Milan and Paris-Moscow have intersected. Today it is where thousands of people arrive, depart and change flights every day. Trade, transport and finance have been the lifeblood of Frankfurt. But it has also been the home of an amazing series of people who have made their mark in Frankfurt, in Germany and if not the whole world. They include Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the Shakespeare of German culture, Sibylla Merian the pioneer of botanical art, Alois Alzheimer who gave his name to the degenerative illness, Käthe Paulus who invented the modern parachute and the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The most famous citizen of Frankfurt has been the banker Mayer Amschel Rothschild, whose rags to riches story is one of the most astounding in all human history. Hajdu interweaves the life and work of these people with the history and present features of Frankfurt. The result is a rich tapestry of a fascinating and very colourful city.
£3.50 -
First World War Diary of Rifleman Frederick Joseph Stanbridge
Somewhere in Palestine March 10th, 1918My Very Dear Brother Ern,….since receiving your last letter, I have been “over the top”. I was expecting to have to go, but I assure you Ern, I never dreamed it would be so terrible!… I want to try to forget those certain 16 hours, but I cannot, and I am afraid I never shall. I really think the night of February 19-20th was (for me anyhow) a night in hell. We had to attack Johnny with the bayonet in the dark about 1:30 (and it was dark too). He was stronger than expected. If our machine guns had not come up just in time, I think we would all have been wiped out.
£3.50