amberley publishing chalford (Over 5,700 results)

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. With few TVs, children in the 1950s made their own entertainment: they played conkers, built dens and go-karts, climbed trees and re-enacted fights from the latest cinema blockbuster. Food was, for many years, still rationed and bought from the local corner shop. There was no pre-packed food, frozen food or many of the other luxuries that we take for granted today. Families would gather around the radio to hear the latest dramatizations such as the incredibly popular show Dan Dare, which was sponsored by Horlicks and was first broadcast in 1951. A trip to the cinema included a Pathe News reel, cartoons and a double bill featuring the latest movies. Much has changed for children over the years and this book shows what life was once like for the children of the 1950s including home life, school days, music and fashions. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Queen, temptress, martyr, witch: the Essex Girl has left her mark on history. For centuries, society allocated women a role of service and obedience; an invisible woman, circumscribed by home and family, was a righteous woman. The Essex Girl, however, was a rebel. She has been the most powerful of landowners, the most loyal of wives, the most devout and the most debauched of nuns. Courageous and spirited, she has fought for her country, sacrificed herself for peace, swum rivers for love, and crossed oceans for her beliefs. She has known wealth and adoration, and suffered persecution and banishment; but, whether saint or seductress, victim or wanton, she has always refused to be invisible. This book tells her story. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The achievements of the great Victorian cricketer continue to fascinate. Even a hundred years after his death he is still widely written about, not least because his highly combative style of play has such modern resonances. W.G. Grace: In the Steps of a Legend offers a very special approach to the enigma that is W.G.: an exploration that takes the reader on a series of journeys of discovery. As places of particular significance to Grace and his family are visited, so the story of this great sporting celebrity steadily unfolds. Highlights include visits to W.G.'s wedding, where the evangelical Graces wreak havoc in a West Brompton church; Australia, seen afresh through the eyes of the newly married Mrs Agnes Grace; a long-lost ground in Grimsby, where we meet the forgotten twenty-two locals who fielded for three days while W.G. scored 400; the County Ground, Bristol, where we hold in our hands the very bat with which W.G. scored his hundredth 100; and The Oval, where, in the first ever home Test Match, W.G. and two of his brothers were representing England under the critical gaze of their mother and uncle, the redoubtable Martha and Alfred. It is a highly entertaining journey, bringing many fresh insights en route, as the man behind the legend comes vividly into focus. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Fascinated by history? Wish you knew more? The Illustrated Introductions are here to help. In this lavishly illustrated, accessible guide, find out everything you need to know about the Stuarts. The Stuart era represents a century characterised by unprecedented change and turmoil, beginning with the Union of the Crowns and marked by wars of religion between Protestants and Catholics in Europe and by Parliamentary conflict. It witnessed the flourishing of art, literature and science, the overthrow of two monarchs and saw England emerge as a major world and European power. This wonderfully illustrated introduction to the Stuarts follows the major events and personalities of the age. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. It was not long before midnight on 17 May 1943 when the inhabitants of Gunne, the German village close to the Mohne Dam, heard the air-raid warnings. It was widely regarded as a precautionary measure, but ninety minutes later, an immense tidal wave was roaring down the valley towards them. Guy Gibson, who led X Squadron of 19 specially adapted Lancasters equipped with Barnes Walliss bouncing bomb, knew that the odds were stacked against him and his men. But they would not let him down. Some, like Squadron Leader Young whose bomb breached the dam, would return home as heroes. Others, like Pilot Officer Byers and his crew, would not, shot down just after crossing the North Sea while they were still miles away from their targets. A small number of those involved would survive crashed aircraft and live out the war in POW camps. The Dam Busters raids have gone down as perhaps the most famous air strikes in history. Yet behind the story of courage and determination there lies another, darker side, both for the aircrews - 40% of whom died in the mission - and for those who lived below the dams in the path of the flood, many of whom were not even German. This compelling account tells the story of those dramatic events through the eyes of those who were there. Whether or not the reality matches the legend, one thing that emerges is the incredible bravery of those who flew the most dangerous mission they had ever undertaken and the trauma experienced by those unlucky enough to be its target. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Most people are under a misapprehension: the Rocket was not the first steam engine. Quite a few were built before it, but Stephensons engine was the first successful steam locomotive. Colin Maggs tells the story of the steam engine, from pre-Rocket days, to British Railways building the Evening Star the last mainline locomotive through to the preservation movement and the new-build locomotives of extinct classes such as the Tornado. In this comprehensive history, Colin Maggs, one of the countrys foremost railway historians, tells of other, perhaps less well-known aspects of the history of steam in Great Britain. The first railway lines, the activities of the early railway companies, the design and manufacture of faster and faster engines and the lives of the men and women who drove the industry. These and other fascinating stories from the age of steam are all revealed in this accessible book, illustrated with over 150 photographs and period ephemera, many in colour. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A full, lavishly illustrated study of a nobleman whose exploits became the stuff of medieval romance, once recounted in the same breath as Robin Hood. Ranulf de Blondeville was fabulously rich and powerful. He served six kings, endured difficult regime-change, fought his way across half of France and back and more than once turned wrested victory from defeat. He never forgot that his roots were Norman although his efforts were for England, where he made his home. Loyal to a fault, as a youth he was disastrously married to the Duchess of Brittany, firebrand of contemporary politics, who tried to destroy him. His second wife brought happiness but not children. He was a fiercely independent spirit with a renowned temper. Unafraid of anyone, he besieged castles aggressively, constructed and defended them stoutly and built an Earldom of unparalleled power at England's heart. Kings lavished titles on him and the Pope sought out his support, noting his exceptional leadership. On his death-bed he bequeathed to Henry III the only piece of Normandy ever recovered from the French. It was rumoured that when he died the devil himself kicked him out of hell, he was so much trouble. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Uncle George is a baker based in the Forest of Dean. He is now planning to retire and sell the bakery. The Forest Series began with Just Around the Corner, followed by Just Across the Fields and Just Over Yonder. In essence, his 'Golden Days' is George's swan song. Uncle George, as the local baker, was at the core of his community and held decided views on any and every subject which came to his notice, view he was always ready to express to friends and strangers alike. This warm and humorous instalment sees George sell his bakery and buy the adjoining piece of land upon which he has long had his eye. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. New House Farm is a small dairy farm of 140 acres in Tytherington, Gloucestershire. Run by Bill Cornock and his sons, Richard and Tom, it has been in the family since the 1840s. In a beautiful and diverse collection of photographs, A Year on a Dairy Farm faithfully captures the day-to-day workings of a family-run farm in the South Gloucestershire countryside. Milking and calving cows, planting trees, laying hedges, ploughing fields, planting maize, making hay, picking fruit - these are just some of the sundry activities that make up the farming year. A Year on a Dairy Farm is a very personal book - all the photographs were taken by the author as he worked on his land - but one with broad appeal, documenting with affection and good humour the rhythms and experiences of farming through the changing seasons. Revealing the characters that make it all happen, and the animals that are the farm's lifeblood, it illustrates with colour and vitality the hard work and rewards of an honest vocation practised in the midst of nature's beauty. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Sevenoaks War Memorial on The Vine lists the 226 men who gave their lives for their King and country from 1914 to 1918. Local historian and genealogist, Matthew Ball, has researched the lives of each individual, bringing their stories to life to mark the anniversary of the start of war. Using census information, service records, local newspapers and family testimony, he shows how brothers, friends and cousins all joined up to fight in the 'war to end all wars'. Sevenoaks War Memorial: The Men Remembered shows how one town in Kent was affected by the conflict and pays tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. AMAZING DOGS tells the stories of some of the most extraordinary dogs in history. In the 1750s, the Learned English Dog was a sensation in London: this spelling and calculating Border collie was even thought to be a reincarnation of Pythagoras. The acting Newfoundland dog Carlo, active in London from 1803 until 1811, had plays specially written for him, involving tackling villains, liberating prisoners, and diving into artificial lakes on stage to save drowning children. Don the Speaking Dog, toured the world barking out words like 'Hungry! Give me cakes!' and had particular success in new York. Some of history's amazing dogs belonged to the canine proletariat: turnspit dogs ceaselessly running inside wheels to turn the roast meat, and terriers put into rat-pits, with bets laid on the number of rats killed. The champion terrier Billy killed 100 rats in five and a half minutes in 1823, a record which stood until 1863, when it was beaten by Jacko, another champion rat-killer. Another forgotten chapter in canine history are the once-famous dog collecting for charity in London's railway stations, with boxes attached to their backs. Lord Byron's rowdy Newfoundland dog Boatswain belonged to the opposite end of the canine social spectrum, as did the super-rich dogs inheriting money from their wealthy and eccentric owners. The book suitably ends with a chapter on dog cemeteries and dog ghosts. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Essex girl. Queen, temptress, martyr, witch - the Essex Girl has left her mark on history. For centuries, society allocated women a role of service and obedience; an invisible woman, circumscribed by home and family, was a righteous woman. But not the Essex Girl. She has been the most powerful of landowners, the most loyal of wives, the most devout and the most debauched of nuns. Courageous and spirited, she has fought for her country, sacrifi ced herself for peace, swum rivers for love, and crossed oceans for her beliefs. She has known wealth and adoration, and suffered persecution and banishment; but, whether saint or seductress, victim or wanton, she has always refused to be invisible. This book tells her story. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A unique look at the life, events and people of London through the eyes of an American gentleman who was in charge of the Daily Express at the turn of the century. The editor of one of the biggest newspapers of the time, the Daily Express, R. D. Blumenfeld was witness to some of the most exciting, intriguing and controversial moments of Londons Victorian scene. From having tea with H. G. Wells to befriending Rudyard Kipling and interviewing Winston Churchill, Blumenfeld rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names of the time. His diary, which covers the time from Queen Victorias Golden Jubilee to the start of the First World War, is a treasure trove of amusing anecdotes, interesting insights and firsthand accounts of a time when everything was changing. This uniquely positioned American gentleman provides a fresh look at a well-known time in Englands history. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Firefighters of Cambridge vividly recalls what life was like for a dedicated firefighter in a large and busy fire station between 1951 and 1981. David Bennett was himself a firefighter at Cambridge Fire Station from 1972 to 1977 so this book draws from his own experiences as well as those of his colleagues at that time. Fighting fires, extricating people from road accidents and attending a myriad of other emergencies are all described - exacting and sometimes dangerous work. However, there was always a lighter side to the daily drama and the camaraderie and spirit of the firefighters is further captured in chapters covering their sense of humour, the sports and social club, the avoidance of useless workA" and moonlighting after hours. The book goes on to detail the work of the Fire Brigades Union and the response to the union call for the national strike of 1977-1978 and ends by highlighting how the military societyA" of firefighters dissolved in subsequent decades. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. People have been looking for the sites of the long-lost and mysterious battles of King Arthur for a thousand years. In this book, the result of extensive consultation with experts across academic disciplines, the authors researches point to fascinating new conclusions about Arthurs life. Much of the history of the time was lost because of some kind of natural catastrophe around AD 540. But the warrior elite, of which Arthur was part, went on to rule what later became known as Wessex, the cradle of the English nation for which King Arthur became a founding legend. Don Carletons study arguably the first attempt at an authentic history of King Arthur for generations offers a compelling case for a new location of the long-lost Battle of Badon, King Arthurs greatest battle. The king and warrior who emerges from this work will be, to some readers, uncongenial. In this portrait, Arthur appears to have been a wily but amoral, boastful blond Irish raider, unrestrained in his ravaging, who used his battles to carve out a kingdom among the Britons and ended his life as a shambling, incoherent shadow of a warrior, a danger to himself and to everyone around him. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. In this fascinating full colour collection of over 200 photographs and postcards, Stratford upon Avon and its surroundings are explored. From images of the streets, buildings, pubs and hotels, to the beauty of the river and surrounding countryside, all aspects of working and social life are chronicled. Join Jacqueline Cameron on this affectionate tour of the area, as she takes us beyond the familiar Tudor black and white buildings, and explores the people of the area, and the changes which have taken place to this quintessentially English town. Some buildings have been preserved for posterity, while others have witnessed a great deal of modernisation. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. To many, the Cotswolds epitomise rural England at its best, conjuring up images of tranquil stone-built villages nestling beneath gently rolling hills or tucked away in evergreen secluded valleys. Such is its enchanting character that it remains one of the most popular and frequently visited parts of Britain. Yet this region defies simple stereotypes. Know where to look and youre as likely to come across a mysterious stone circle, an Iron Age fort or the castle where Edward II was murdered as you are one of the many fine churches and manor houses built from local limestone which typically punctuate this alluring landscape. Once celebrated as the centre of the English wool trade during the Middle Ages, the Cotswolds were rediscovered by the Arts and Crafts Movement as a special place of pilgrimage towards the end of the nineteenth century. Towns such as Chipping Campden, Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bath have many secrets to reveal. This book also explores iconic sites such as Arlington Row. Covering places of outstanding beauty and treasures of historical interest, this guide has carefully selected fifty unmissable gems which help this region to sparkle as a jewel in the nations heritage. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Although the Seymours arrived with the Normans, it is with Jane, Henry VIIIs third queen, and her brothers Edward, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas, Lord Seymour of Sudeley that they became prominent. Jane bore Henry his longed-for son, Edward VI, and both her brothers achieved prominence through her. Her brother Edward was central to Henrys activities in Scotland and became Lord Protector for the young king, his nephew, a hugely powerful position. Thomas married Henrys sixth wife, Catherine Parr, and after her death in 1548 aimed to marry Princess Elizabeth (the future Elizabeth I), with whom he had flirted when she was in Catherines care, and for this he was executed for high treason. Edward fell foul of his fellow councillors and was also executed. Edwards son was restored to the title of Lord Hertford by Elizabeth I, but was sent to the Tower when it emerged that he had secretly married Jane Greys sister, Catherine, who was Elizabeths protestant heir. Both her marriage and pregnancy were an affront to the queen. This is the epic rise and fall of the family at the heart of the Tudor court and of Henry VIIIs own heart; he described Jane as my first true wife and left express orders to be buried next to her tomb at Windsor Castle. The family seat of Wolfhall or Wolf Hall in Wiltshire is long gone, but it lives on as an icon of the Tudor age. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. He had one of the more unglamorous jobs in the Second World War, but self-taught violinist George Warner's letters home from the North African and Italian campaigns - in which he served as a dispatch rider for the Royal Army Service Corps - provide an enthralling, humane account of Europe's darkest years. Writing home to 'Dearest Maudie' and his young daughters, who had been evacuated from Eastbourne to the Midlands, George Warner fi lled his accounts of service in the No. 8 Petrol Depot of the RASC with the small and vital details of day-to-day life - aspects of wartime that are all too often absent from more conventional histories. Motorcycling around Italy, Warner found the time to learn to dance (he had crushed his ankle before the war), take up new musical instruments (including the guitar and the mandolin), and learn Italian. He met fellow rider Bill Evans soon after enlisting in 1941, and they remained together for four and a half years, working, playing and making music for themselves and their comrades. Their friendship helped to sustain them both during their years abroad. Throughout the book, what is most evident is Warner's articulate yearning to return home to his family and his beloved Eastbourne. He returns to the theme frequently, and for this soldier at least, it was a wish that came true: his violin and the longed-for South Coast were waiting for him in the country he had spent so long defending. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Victorian parson is an unsung hero. Legend and literature portray him as a buffoon or a charlatan; at best, he is the bearer of a thin veneer of piety as a cover for hypocrisy, and it is true that stories of louche, lazy or plain loony vicars are easy to come by. However, amid the unprecedented technological and commercial turmoil of the nineteenth century, the Church moved to the centre of the nations affairs and took on new and important responsibilities. Campaigning for new schools, healthier living conditions and providing humanitarian values, the vicar became the champion for the lower classes despite remote and hostile communities, churches that were barely fit for purpose and uncooperative local landowners. With a wealth of diary entries and other first-hand accounts, this beautifully written history sees society from the viewpoint of the parson at the centre of his community a community in the throes of economic, spiritual, architectural, social and scientific revolution. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. From drone warfare in the Middle East to digital spying, todays governments have harnessed the power of cutting-edge technology to awesome effect. But what happens when ordinary people have the same tools at their fingertips? Advances in cybertechnology, biotechnology and robotics mean that more people than ever before have access to potentially dangerous technologies from drones to computer networks and biological agents which could be used to attack states and private citizens alike. In The Future of Violence, security experts Benjamin Wittes and Gabriella Blum detail the myriad possibilities and enormous risks present in the modern world, and argue that if our national governments can no longer adequately protect us from harm, they will lose their legitimacy. They explain how governments, companies and citizens must rethink their efforts to protect our lives and liberty. As a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and co-director of the Harvard Law SchoolBrookings Project on Law and Security, Benjamin Wittes is arguably the Unites States leading expert on security and law. Gabriella Blum is the Rita E. Hauser Professor of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at Harvard University. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Constructed in Cotswold style in the sixteenth century and standing on a ridge above the river at Malmesbury, next to the famous abbey church Abby House was built as a residence for the family of one of England's most important Tudor clothiers. It was raised above the remains of a thirteenth-century building, still in situ, that was associated with the Benedictine abbey. Today, it's surrounded by some of the most beautiful private gardens in the country, which are open daily in season to the public. This is the story of Abbey House, a tale that begins at the birth of Christianity in the area, spans the Dissolution of the monasteries, and encompasses the renaissance of trade that succeeded it. The book describes the buildings that have been on the site, and the people who lived in them: entrepreneurs and tradesmen, politicians and soldiers, surgeons and doctors, nuns, aristocrats and landed gentry. It tells how the history of the nation affected Abbey House, and how the estate engages with the story of Malmesbury. Here too is a comprehensive description of Abbey House, inside and out; an exploration of how the gardens were made, and of each season in them; and an account of the many craftspeople whose work is represented throughout the house and the grounds. It tells how the now world-famous 'Naked Gardeners' got their name, and what naturism means to Ian and Barbara Pollard, the creators of Abbey House Gardens. It is illustrated throughout with the author's own photographs. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. John 'Willy' Williams was a medical student and passionate surfer turned Squadron Leader and Second World War ace. In the Australian tradition, he insisted on fighting his war in non-regulation attire and led his squadron into air combat over Libya and Egypt dressed in sandals and shorts. Shot down in the Western Desert in 1942, he ended up a POW in Stalag Luft III near the GermanPolish border. John was among the seventy-six POWs who tunnelled their way out of the supposedly escape-proof camp under the Germans' noses in what later became famous as the Great Escape. John and former schoolmate Reg 'Rusty' Keirath, together with two other POWs, made it to Czechoslovakia and were captured by the Gestapo. Hitler was so enraged by the Great Escape that he personally ordered the secret execution of fifty of the seventy-three captured men, in flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention. John, Rusty and their two friends were driven by the Gestapo deep into the forest near the town of Most and shot; John was just twenty-four years old. Despite the later war crimes investigation into the Great Escape murders, no one was ever brought to justice for the murders of the Most Four. Johns niece Louise Williams has pieced together his life, from his upbringing in the Depression to his exploits in the air and the missing details of the tragic escape. It is a powerful and intimate story of one of the most dramatic episodes of World War II. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Organised transport services commenced in Bradford in 1882 and since then the streets have witnessed the passage of horse trams, steam trams, electric trams, trolleybuses and motor buses. Author David J. Croft has assembled an unrivalled collection of photographs dating from the earliest years of public transport to the present day, and this selection of around 200 takes the reader on a comprehensive tour of transportation past and present. For many years the services were under municipal control, but numerous other operators have come and gone. The city pioneered trolleybus operation in 1911 and has the distinction of being the last place in Britain to operate this environmentally friendly form of transport. Besides traditional Bradford vehicles, less well-known vehicles are depicted, plus those preserved in museum collections. Bradford Transport promises to prompt fond memories among the city's older residents, and to acquaint the younger generation with its tremendous heritage. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. There have been many tales and anecdotes about the Cotswolds published over the past two hundred years, some of which are now virtually inaccessible. This book provides a fine selection of these tales - some amusing, others poignant - covering this corner of the country, revealing something of the unique nature of the region. The text covers a wide variety of subjects and, with much of it written in dialect, vividly captures the texture of life as it was at the end of the nineteenth century. Here are tales of the farmer and the country fir, the shepherd and his idyllic life and the rural wedding, but also of the death of a child and the effects of politics on ordinary people. Here, too, are anecdotes of daily life and characters still strangely familiar despite the passing of the years. In this volume is contained S S. Buckman's John Darke's Sojourn in the Cotteswolds and Elsewhere; Willum Workman's Wit and Wisdom by G. Edmund Hall and John Drinkwater's Cotswold Characters. Illustrated with original line drawings and contemporary photographs of the area, Cotswold Tales will delight visitors and residents alike. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. For twenty-three years, up to the First World War, Alfred Williams worked in the Great Western Railway's Works at Swindon, the locomotive capital of the west. The population of the town was then about fifty thousand, all more or less dependent upon the factory for survival. About twelve thousand men normally worked there. Every singe aspect of life in a railway factory is covered in this book, first published in 1915, and he did not pull any punches in describing the appalling working conditions in the foundries, blast furnaces, blacksmith's shops and engine sheds which made up this vast industrial complex. If you want to know how a locomotive works, how each component, each rivet and nut and bolt came together to create a living breathing steam engine, read this book. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The year is 1953 and the North of England, like everywhere else, is full of women 'keeping house' for their husbands. Washing must be scrubbed by hand over the sink, socks must be darned by hand and tea must be on the table by five o'clock sharp. Immersed in this world is Hazel Wheeler, a feisty young woman, Yorkshire born and bred, who is in her first year of marriage. Contending with the daily drudgery of continual housework, an interfering mother in law who 'always knows best' and a constant struggle to make ends meet, The Diary of a Young Wife 1953 chronicles the first shaky steps of marriage for newlywed Hazel Wheeler. Challenged by the sexist cultural climate of the time, Hazel desperately fights to fit her passion - writing- around the unenviable daily demands of a 1950s housewife, and, terrified of social pressure to have children, finds herself 'wondering if there could possibly be a means of having a family without the bodily distortion.' The Diary of a Young Wife 1953 offers and engaging insight into married life in the 1950s. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The British weather: famously changeable, subject of endless complaint and endless small talk. We all feel we know it well as a largely benign backdrop to our lives, but the truth is our weather has changed the course of our history and society. This is the extraordinary tale of Britains weather and our relationship with it. Recounting the most astounding weather-related stories from the distant to the recent past, it reveals a surprising and frightening picture. Devastating tidal surges, unprecedented droughts, tornadoes, blizzards, lightning and smog have all repeatedly caused death on a wide scale, even in the heart of London. And while in recent history Icelandic volcanoes have affected our weather enough to ground modern aircraft, in the past they have done this so catastrophically that they have influenced European politics, and at one point almost ended humanity in its infancy. Meticulously researched and compellingly written, The Story of the British and Their Weather is the absorbing tale of the real master of the British Isles and their inhabitants. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The name Wetherby derives from the Saxon word for a sheep farm, or the Norse for a bend in the river. Archaeological finds show the Wetherby area has been populated since the early Bronze Age, growing around an important river crossing on the 'Great North Road' between London and Edinburgh, for which the existing stone bridge was built in 1233. Mary Queen of Scots crossed it on her way south from Bolton Castle, as did many armies through the centuries. Two skirmishes were fought for possession of the town during the Civil War and Oliver Cromwell passed through the area on the morning of the Battle of Marston Moor. Almost all of Wetherby was the property of the Dukes of Devonshire from 1602 until 1824, and a number of buildings constructed on behalf of the Devonshire Estate still survive. Through a fascinating collection of images, the Wetherby Historical Trust details this town's rich history. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book illustrates some of the changes in the villages of Newby and Scalby situated on the northern outskirts of Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast. It includes many of the older streets and some of the buildings as well as scenes of village life from a bygone age before the advent of motorised transport. These contrast sharply, in many cases, with the recent photographs that have been taken to highlight the way the character of villages has altered. The villages were served by a station at Scalby, on the Scarborough & Whitby Railway, that was opened in 1885. This stimulated the growth of Scalby, when building materials were brought in to construct new houses. This was an important stage of development in a process which still continues today. Despite this progress Scalby still retains its historic heart and this book also illustrates some of the features that have survived. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.