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Growing Up in the West (Canongate Classics)
by Edwin Muir J.F. Hendry Gordon M. Williams Tom GallacherFour literary works portraying both the gritty beauty and the brutality of Glasgow and western Scotland in the mid-twentieth century. Includes:Poor Tom by Edwin MuirFernie Brae by J. F. HendryFrom Scenes Like These by Gordon M. WilliamsApprentice by Tom Gallacher Introduced by Liam McIlvanney, award-winning author of The Quaker, Growing Up in the West presents four very different and memorably vivid accounts of what it was to be young and growing up in Glasgow and the west of Scotland, from the 1930s to the 1960s. Poor Tom tells of a young man&’s struggle to come to terms with the slow death of his brother in the city slums of a culturally impoverished Scotland. Fernie Brae celebrates the growth and education of a sensitive youth in a novel reminiscent of Joyce&’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Gordon Williams&’s novel From Scenes Like These tells a grimmer story as its young protagonist eventually succumbs to a culture of drink and violence in which the harshness of life on the land sits next to industrial sprawl. Finally, set in the Clydeside shipyards, the wryly observant and humorous style of Apprentice strikes a happier note from the 1960s.
By Loyalty Bound: The Story of the Mistress of King Richard III
by Elizabeth Ashworth&“A rare treat. An exciting exploration of a piece of little-known history. A stunning new slant on the last of the Plantagenet kings . . . unmissable.&”—Lancashire Evening Post Set during the War of the Roses, this novel is the story of defiant Anne Harrington, the woman destined to become mistress to the enigmatic Richard as a consequence of his involvement in the trials of her family. With her father and grandfather killed fighting for the Yorkists at Wakefield in 1460, Hornby Castle falls to her as an inheritance at the tender age of five. When her ward-ship is handed over to Thomas Stanley by the king himself, Anne&’s uncles and the influence they might otherwise have wielded are virtually cut off. The story traces the Harringtons&’ fight to keep possession of their ancestral home, the support given to them by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Richard&’s tumultuous and beguiling relationship with Anne as she is forced into a marriage arranged for her by her guardian, a man who has objectives beyond the determination to secure her future happiness. With a close eye for detail, Elizabeth Ashworth creates an intricately nuanced landscape, which serves as a remarkably effective and convincing backdrop. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a man often demonized in literary adaptations with his hunched back and questionable moral code, is revived to supreme effect. The romance of the era is effectively relayed, communicating a real sense of drama borne out of political tensions heightened by the emotional complexities that characterized the age. &“A wonderfully imaginative and action-packed story which puts the formative years of young Richard of Gloucester in a compelling and credible new light.&”—The Visitor
Blitzkrieg in the West: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)
by Ian Baxter"This superbly illustrated book captures the dramatic action of May and June 1940. The speed and ferocity of the German onslaught took the Allies by surprise as Hitlers land and air forces annihilated the inferior opposition. After 9 months stalemate the collapse was cataclysmic and Holland and Belgium quickly fell leaving the British and French forces outflanked and outfought. Panic set in and huge numbers of civilian refugees clogged the roads making the Allies withdrawal even more precarious. The miracle of Dunkirk saved vast numbers of British and French forces but could not prevent the surrender of France, leaving Britain to fight on virtually alone. The splendid photographs in this Images of War series book tell the story of this extraordinary period of history. They include previously unseen images of Rommels Ghost Division."
The Winter Garden: the perfect read this Christmas, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance
by Heidi Swain***The sparkling Christmas novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author Heidi Swain!***Will love bloom this winter? Freya Fuller is living her dream, working as a live-in gardener on a beautiful Suffolk estate. But when the owner dies, Freya finds herself forced out of her job and her home with nowhere to go. However, with luck on her side, she&’s soon moving to Nightingale Square and helping to create a beautiful winter garden that will be open to the public in time for Christmas. There&’s a warm welcome from all in Nightingale Square, except from local artist Finn. No matter how hard the pair try, they just can&’t get along, and working together to bring the winter garden to life quickly becomes a struggle for them both. Will Freya and Finn be able to put their differences aside in time for Christmas? Or will the arrival of a face from Freya&’s past send them all spiralling?The Winter Garden is the perfect read this Christmas, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance. Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Cathy Bramley and Sarah Morgan. Praise for HEIDI SWAIN:'The queen of feel-good' Woman & Home 'Full of Heidi&’s trademark gentle charm. Lock the door, pour some mulled wine and settle into this wonderful Christmas treat!' Milly Johnson 'More Christmassy than a week in Lapland - we loved it!' heat 'Sprinkled with Christmas sparkle' Trisha Ashley 'Give yourself a Christmas treat and curl up with this magical book!' Sue Moorcroft, author of The Little Village Christmas 'A real Christmas cracker of a read!' Penny Parkes, author of Practice Makes Perfect 'Cosy, Christmassy and deeply satisfying! Another wonderful read!' Mandy Baggot, author of One Christmas Kiss in Notting Hill
Dork Diaries: Birthday Drama! (Dork Diaries #13)
by Rachel Renee RussellWelcome to Nikki Maxwell's aDORKable world and the mega-selling Dork Diaries series – now with over 50 million copies in print worldwide! OMG! Nikki's birthday party is going to be beyond awesome! Her BFFs are planning a SUPERcool pool party, with a cake, a DJ, and the perfect invitations. Organizing a big party for one hundred people is easy, right? UMMM wrong! When her mum says it's too expensive, soon it's looking like Nikki's dream party will be a total dorky disaster - cringe! Can Nikki and her BFFs come up with a plan to save the day, or will there be major birthday drama?! With a HUGE global fanbase, Dork Diaries is the perfect series for fans of Lottie Brooks, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates. Don&’t miss out! I LOVE PARIS, the brand new DORK DIARIES, is out now! Have you read all the DORK DIARIES series?Dork Diaries Dork Diaries 2: Party Time Dork Diaries 3: Pop Star Dork Diaries 4: Skating Sensation Dork Diaries 5: Dear Dork Dork Diaries 6: Holiday Heartbreak Dork Diaries 7: TV Star Dork Diaries 8: Once Upon a Dork Dork Diaries 9: Drama Queen Dork Diaries 10: Puppy Love Dork Diaries 11: Frenemies Forever Dork Diaries 12: Crush Catastrophe Dork Diaries 13: Birthday Drama Dork Diaries 14: Spectacular Superstar Dork Diaries 15: I Love Paris! - Out now!
Spitfire: A Very British Love Story
by John NicholTHE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLER WHSmith NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018'The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane' Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter Boys&‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine&’ Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607 'As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes' Mail on Sunday magazine The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today? In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany&’s domination of Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that Great Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast, confident his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything the Royal Air Force threw at them. What Hitler hadn&’t planned for was the agility and resilience of a marvel of British engineering that would quickly pass into legend – the Spitfire. Bestselling author John Nichol&’s passionate portrait of this magnificent fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates, and the people who flew and loved them, carries the reader beyond the dogfights over Kent and Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the Spitfire&’s deployment during WWII, from Malta to North Africa and the Far East, then over the D-Day beaches, it is always accessible, effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary spirit. Here are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping first-hand accounts of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers, and of the mechanics who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in battle-ready condition. Nichol takes the reader on a hair-raising, nail-biting and moving wartime history of the iconic Spitfire populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic characters that make you want to stand up and cheer.
A Gift from Nessus
by William McIlvanneyA dark, psychologically compelling story of grift, greed, and a salesman in trouble, from “the finest Scottish novelist of our time” (Telegraph).Winner of a Scottish Arts Council Book AwardEddie Cameron is a thirty-five-year-old salesman for Rocklight Ltd., an electrical equipment firm in Glasgow, who feels like he’s lived thirty-five years with little to show for it: a job as a salesman at Rocklight, Ltd., an electrical equipment firm in Glasgow; a mortgage; a un-paid-off car that sounds like it has the combustion engine’s equivalent of asthma. Who would miss him if he died, beyond his wife, his kids, and his mistress? Only his creditors, he suspects.But thanks to Eddie’s fiddling with the firm’s expenses, he may now lose the little that he thought he had. His life is in tatters. His wife hates him. And his violent temper has left his mistress teetering on the edge of sanity…From a winner of numerous awards for both literary and crime writing, this is a novel with a noir sensibility that explores the darkness we can bring down upon ourselves.“As a stylist Mr. McIlvanney leaves most of the competition far behind.”—The New York Times Book Review
Sky's Witness: A Year in the Wind River Range
by C. L. RawlinsThoreau joked that he was a "self-appointed inspector of snowstorms and rainstorms," never dreaming that such a need might exist. But such is the author's work and that of his various helpers, from ski bums to shortstops. They travel the alpine wilderness at all seasons by touring skis , snowshoes, pack llamas, float-tubes, and a tiny but dependable rat. The remove mountain beauty, "where thoughts stretch for miles and days," would be enough, but C.L. Rawlins is after something more. He's a backcountry hydrologist, collecting rain, snow, and the water of high lakes to measure air pollution.Alongside Rawlins we discover the natural history of the central Rockies, the flowering of plants, and the ways of mountain animals. We learn how the Shoshoni lived in this harsh country before the arrival of settlers. We see also the effect of twentieth-century living on a wilderness that feels pristine but bears the chemical trace of distant smokestacks and freeways.With a style that roams between natural observation and personal essay, Rawlins's Sky's Witness gives access not only to the wilderness but to the ways in which we know ourselves.
One Hundred Miles from Manhattan
by Guillermo FesserA unique tour of the US: &“Who better than a kind-hearted foreigner to help you marvel at our own land and learn something about your fellow Americans?&” —Bloomberg Businessweek In 2002 Guillermo Fesser quit his morning radio talk show in Madrid, and moved with his family to Rhinebeck, NY, for a sabbatical year. Finding himself in a rural community 6,000 miles from home and 100 miles from New York City, Fesser began to discover an America he had never imagined existed. One Hundred Miles from Manhattan is a fresh, funny, positive and affectionate portrait of life in small-town America—and beyond. This book is filled with the stories of the people Fesser met, the places he visited and the things he learned during his year in Rhinebeck, from the German neighbors who welcome in the New Year by jumping back and forth from the couch to the coffee table to a Texan rancher who follows Native American traditions in the raising of bison; from a guide who leads fishing expeditions into Alaska&’s Kuskokwim Mountains to the engineer responsible for the steam conduction system in Manhattan&’s underbelly; and from a former follower of Reverend Moon turned track coach to the man who created Big Bird.
Giant Steps: Bebop and the Creators of Modern Jazz, 1945-65 (Scene Ser.)
by Kenny MathiesonA music journalist offers a lively history of modern jazz through its formative and most vital decades—from Charlie Parker to John Coltrane.In Giant Steps, Kenny Mathieson examines the most important figures in the creation of modern jazz, detailing the emergence and evolution of bebop through the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. Using this as its starting point, Mathieson then delves into the developments of jazz composition, modal jazz and free jazz. The music of the great masters is examined in detail and will provide both a fine introduction for the large audience newly attracted to the music but unsure of their direction through it, as well as an entertaining and informative read for those with a more substantial background.
A Caledonian Feast (Canongate Classics)
by Annette HopeStories, recipes, and cultural legacy combine in this award-winning book: &“recipes, sociology, history and anecdote are woven into a plaid of pleasure&” (The Listener). Scottish cuisine reflects both the richness of the country&’s resources and the ingenuity of Scottish people who often needed to be frugal. From the ninth century to the present, from the simplicity of porridge and oatcakes to the gourmet delights of fish and game, A Caledonian Feast offers a fascinating history of Scotland, complete with author Annette Hope&’s personal collection of authentic recipes.A Caledonian Feast is widely acknowledged to be the definitive culinary history of Scotland. Immensely readable and informative, it draws upon many strands of Scotland&’s literary heritage, including works by Scott, Boswell, Smollett, and Hogg, as well as agriculturalists, social historians, and specialist food writers like Marian McNeill. It was shortlisted for Scotland&’s premier literary prize, the McVitie, and given a Scottish Arts Council Award when first published in 1987. This edition of A Caledonian Feast includes a superb introduction from Clarissa Dickson Wright. &“Exceptionally wide-ranging, well-organized and nicely put.&” —Sunday Times &“A joy to read.&” —Sunday Telegraph
The Lewiston Shootings: An All-American Tragedy
by Robert ConlinNever again would anyone say, "It will never happen here." Because it did. October 25, 2023 was just an ordinary night in Lewiston, a small, working class city of 37,000 in central Maine. Friends and families had gathered to do what they loved to do with the people they wanted to be with at a bowling alley called Just-in-Time Recreation Center and Schemengees, a popular sports bar and restaurant. They felt immune from the violent crime that seemed to wrack the rest of the country in a state that the FBI had just named the safest in America. Then Robert Card II, a deeply paranoid Army Reserve soldier, walked into both places with a high-powered rifle and opened fire, killing 18 people and wounding 13 more. He then fled to a third location, where according to the evidence and the testimony of his best friend, he likely planned to lay in wait and kill his ex-co-workers when they came to work the next morning. The tragedy is that the numerous red flags he had raised in the months before weren't enough to stop him before he carried out his terrible plan. A combination of watered-down gun control laws and law enforcement and military negligence made sure of that. In THE LEWISTON SHOOTINGS - An All-American Tragedy, author and award-winning journalist Robert Conlin traces the shootings that deeply scarred a community that thought it was the last place on earth where a mass shooting would take place.
The Canongate Burns: The Complete Poems And Songs Of Robert Burns (Canongate Classics #24)
by Robert BurnsThis &“magnificent and authoritative work&” presents the complete verse of Scotland&’s National Bard with extensive textual and historical notes (Colm Toibin, The Independent, UK). Best known for poems such as &“A Red, Red Rose&” and &“Ae Fond Kiss,&” and for the song &“Auld Lang Synge,&” which is sung around the world every New Years&’ Eve, Robert Burns was one of the most important poets of the 18th century. A major influence on the Romantic poetry movement, Burns is still beloved across Scotland, with Burns Night celebrated every January 25th. This complete volume of the writer&’s poetry and songs includes previously unpublished pieces, draws on extensive scholarship and Burn&’s own letters, and offers supplemental information about his life, early hardships, political beliefs, and literary contexts. An extensive glossary of Scots words is included.&“A very fine edition, and the long introduction, which sets out to clear the tangled banks, is alone worth the cover price.&”—The Scotsman, UK
Orphans of Eldorado (Canongate Myths #8)
by Milton HatoumThis reimagining of the Amazon&’s greatest legend by the prize-winning Brazilian author of The Brothers &“does what every good telling of a myth should&” (Financial Times). The setting for this fable is Eldorado, the Enchanted city that inhabited the fevered dreams of European navigators and conquistadors, but eluded all attempts to find it on the map. Some have linked it to Manaus, Brazil&’s capitol city in the Amazon Basin, and it is here that Arminto Cordovil lives with his father Amando in a white mansion.Theirs relationship is full of fury and limitless ambition. Separating father and son is a remarkable cast of characters, from Angelina, the dead mother, to Denisio, the infernal boatman, and at the centre, Dinaura, a girl who betwitches Arminto and dreams of Eldorado…Orphans of Eldorado is an &“unnerving and otherworldly&” fable of love, family, longing, and despair. &“Somewhere in the vivid descriptions of the rich Amazonian landscape, and amongst the complex life story of the protagonist, the reader becomes enchanted by the mysteries of the text&” (The Skinny, UK).&“A tough and gifted novelist.&”—A.S. Byatt
Nam Sense: Surviving Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division
by Arthur Wiknik Jr.A candid memoir of being sent to Vietnam at age nineteen, witnessing the carnage of Hamburger Hill, and returning to an America in turmoil. Arthur Wiknik was a teenager from New England when he was drafted into the US Army in 1968, shipping out to Vietnam early the following year. Shortly after his arrival on the far side of the world, he was assigned to Camp Evans near the northern village of Phong Dien, only thirty miles from Laos and North Vietnam. On his first jungle patrol, his squad killed a female Viet Cong who turned out to have been the local prostitute. It was the first dead person he had ever seen. Wiknik's account of life and death in Vietnam includes everything from heavy combat to faking insanity to get some R & R. He was the first in his unit to reach the top of Hamburger Hill, and between sporadic episodes of combat, he mingled with the locals; tricked unwitting US suppliers into providing his platoon with hard-to-get food; defied a superior and was punished with a dangerous mission; and struggled with himself and his fellow soldiers as the antiwar movement began to affect them. Written with honesty and sharp wit by a soldier who was featured on a recent History Channel documentary about Vietnam, Nam Sense spares nothing and no one in its attempt to convey what really transpired for the combat soldier during this unpopular war. It is not about glory, mental breakdowns, flashbacks, or self-pity. The GIs Wiknik lived and fought with during his yearlong tour were not drug addicts or war criminals or gung-ho killers. They were there to do their duty as they were trained, support their comrades—and get home alive. Recipient of an Honorable Mention from the Military Writers Society of America.
Just Duffy (Canongate Classics #15)
by Robin JenkinsThis &“challenging and absorbing&” novel by the author of The Cone Gatherers explores evil done in the name of goodness with &“a powerful and mordant irony&” (The Scotsman, UK). Set amidst the urban decay of Lanarkshire, Robin Jenkins&’s Just Duffy reads like a modern-day Confession of a Justified Sinner. A teenager named Duffy, convinced of his own moral rectitude and appalled at the depravity around him, declares war on society. Ridiculous, yet horrifying at the same time, his campaign builds to a terrifying conclusion. Beset with ambiguity, Duffy is a ferocious indictment of Calvinistic moral certainty, of a struggle for good which results in only evil and destruction. Exploring Robin Jenkins&’s signature themes in stark simplicity, Just Duffy is one of the acclaimed author&’s most significant and powerful novels. Its inexorable drive and power bear witness to a modern Greek tragedy played out on a Scottish stage. This edition of Just Duffy includes a new introduction by Margery Palmer McCulloch.&“Stark and hypnotically well written.&”—The Irish Independent, UK
So This Is Ever After
by F.T. LukensThree months to find your true love, save the kingdom and secure the throne. It's all a breeze from here, right? WRONG! Dive into LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F. T. Lukens! Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Adam Silvera. Arek didn&’t think about what would happen after he fulfilled the prophecy. He&’s officially King of Ere, but only Arek and his mage, the devastatingly handsome Matt, know that the role comes with a catch: marry by your eighteenth birthday – or die. Arek&’s got three months to find his One True Love and save his own life. But things go painfully and hilariously wrong . . . until he discovers that love might have been right in front of him all along.Funny, subversive, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F. T. Lukens. Look out for In Deeper Waters and Spell Bound.
Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight (Stephanie Plum Book #28) (Stephanie Plum Ser. #28)
by Janet Evanovich#1 New York Times Bestselling AuthorStephanie Plum returns to hunt down a master cyber-criminal operating out of Trenton in the 28th book in the wildly popular series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich. When Stephanie Plum is woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of footsteps in her apartment, she wishes she didn&’t keep her gun in the cookie jar in her kitchen. And when she finds out the intruder is fellow apprehension agent Diesel, six feet of hard muscle and bad attitude whom she hasn&’t seen in more than two years, she still thinks the gun might come in handy. Turns out Diesel and Stephanie are on the trail of the same fugitive: Oswald Wednesday, an international computer hacker as brilliant as he is ruthless. Stephanie may not be the most technologically savvy sleuth, but she more than makes up for that with her dogged determination, her understanding of human nature, and her willingness to do just about anything to bring a fugitive to justice. Unsure if Diesel is her partner or her competition in this case, she&’ll need to watch her back every step of the way as she sets the stage to draw Wednesday out from behind his computer and into the real world. Praise for Janet Evanovich:'When you read a Stephanie Plum novel, you&’re guaranteed tension, humour, cars blowing up and a lot of doughnuts. Game On adds hackers and extreme knitting into the mix. No one writes crime comedy like Janet Evanovich. A delight from beginning to end!'JOY KLUVER &‘The undisputed queen of the comedy beat . . . A hilarious rollercoaster ride with a heroine who would have Bridget Jones for breakfast&’GUARDIAN &‘There are few crime writers who can make their readers laugh out loud at the same time as keeping the tension as high octane as this . . . For sheer uncomplicated fun, Stephanie Plum is hard to beat&’EXPRESS ON SUNDAY &‘A laugh-out-loud page-turner&’HEAT &‘Pithy, witty and fast-paced&’SUNDAY TIMES &‘Stephanie Plum in ass-kicking form . . . utterly delightful&’COSMOPOLITAN &‘Evanovich&’s series of New Jersey comedy thrillers are among the great joys of contemporary crime fiction . . . All the easy class and wit that you expect to find in the best American TV comedy, but too rarely find in modern fiction&’GQ &‘As smart and sassy as high-gloss wet paint&’TIME OUT
Mr. Mercedes: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Trilogy #1)
by Stephen KingWatch the complete MR. MERCEDES series on Peacock WINNER of the EDGAR AWARD for BEST NOVEL and #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! In a high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from murdering thousands. &“Mr. Mercedes is a rich, resonant, exceptionally readable accomplishment by a man who can write in whatever genre he chooses&” (The Washington Post).The stolen Mercedes emerges from the pre-dawn fog and plows through a crowd of men and women on line for a job fair in a distressed American city. Then the lone driver backs up, charges again, and speeds off, leaving eight dead and more wounded. The case goes unsolved and ex-cop Bill Hodges is out of hope when he gets a letter from a man who loved the feel of death under the Mercedes&’s wheels… Brady Hartsfield wants that rush again, but this time he&’s going big, with an attack that would take down thousands—unless Hodges and two new unusual allies he picks up along the way can throw a wrench in Hartsfield&’s diabolical plans. Stephen King takes off on a &“nerve-shredding, pulse-pounding race against time&” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) with this acclaimed #1 bestselling thriller.
The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney (mix)
by Lauren BarnholdtMom says karma always comes around to get you, and I guess it's true. Because last summer I was a total liar, and now, right in the middle of Mr. Pritchard's third-period math class, my whole world is about to come crashing down. That's because while Devon was living with her grandmother for the summer, she told her "summer friend," Lexi, that she was really popular back home and dating Jared Bentley, only the most popular guy at school. Harmless lies, right? Wrong. Not when Lexi is standing at the front of Devon's class, having just moved to Devon's town. Uh-oh. Devon knows there's only one way to handle this -- she'll just have to become popular! But how is Devon supposed to accomplish that when she's never even talked to Jared, much less dated him?! And it seems the more Devon tries to keep up her "image," the more things go wrong. Her family thinks she's nuts, her best friend won't speak to her, and, as if it's not all complicated enough, Jared starts crushing on Lexi and Devon starts crushing on Jared's best friend, Luke. It all has Devon wondering -- who is the real Devon Delaney?
Invasion 1982: The Falkland Islanders Story
by Graham BoundThe story of British Falkland Islanders under Argentine occupation—with a new chapter on postwar developments: “Reads like a gripping adventure yarn.” —British Heritage MagazineFalkland Islanders were the first British people to come under enemy occupation since the Channel Islanders during the Second World War. This book tells how islanders’ warnings were ignored in London, how their slim defenses gave way to a massive invasion, and how they survived occupation.While some among the small population established a cautiously pragmatic modus vivendi with the occupiers, some islanders opted for active resistance. Others joined advancing British troops, transporting ammunition and leading men to the battlefields. Islanders’ leaders and “troublemakers” faced internal exile, and whole settlements were imprisoned, becoming virtual hostages. A new chapter about Falklands history since 1982 reveals that while the Falklands have benefited greatly from Britain’s ongoing commitment to them, a cold war continues in the south Atlantic. To the annoyance of the Argentines, the islands have prospered—and an oil bonanza promises further riches.Includes a foreword by Frederick Forsyth
Fighter Pilot (Vintage Aviation Library)
by "McScotch" Mannock&“McScotch&” himself describes his book and pays tribute to a colleague in this note, which appears at the front of the volume: &“This book consists of the reminiscences of an ordinary fighter pilot of the R.F.C. who had the privilege of serving in one of the leading Fighter Squadrons and who had the honor of being the friend of the supreme fighter of all the Air Forces, that indomitable and lovable patriot, &‘MICK&’ MANNOCK, V.C., D.S.O., M.C.&” Available records and publications show &“McScotch&” himself as a fighter pilot with 40 Squadron, holding the rank of lieutenant and then captain. He is credited with 12 kills of German opponents. This is a detailed and exciting account of squadron life and shows the bravery and true comradeship of these flyers.
Becoming Clark Rockerfeller: Murder, Love, Deception, and the Con Man Behind It All
by Frank C. GirardotBECOMING CLARK ROCKEFELLER: Murder, Love, Deception, and the Conman Behind It All delves into the life of a young immigrant entangled in a multi-generational murder investigation ensnaring some of the wealthiest Americans. Posing as bogus aristocrat Clark Rockefeller, he duped the affluent, leaving a trail of deception and national headlines in his wake. Yet the story would grow even more sinister. In 1985, Linda Sohus, a talented, outgoing artist, and her husband John, a computer geek with dreams of space, mysteriously vanished from their quiet San Marino, California life. But why? Were they on a secret government mission, chasing elusive dreams, or had something terrible happened to them? The police investigated while the public and media speculated. But all leads came to a dead end, and eventually, the mystery faded into the shadows. Then, in 1994, a shocking backyard discovery reignited the case. Bones were unearthed, revealing a convoluted tale of murder, lust, and trickery. At its center, the same audacious grifter, whose real name was Christian Gerhartsreiter, who had conned his way into high society as Clark Rockefeller. In this thrilling true crime masterpiece, tenacious investigative journalist and bestselling author Frank C. Girardot unveils this transcontinental, decades-long mystery with interviews from witnesses, court documents, and exclusive insights from the con man himself.
Barnet 1471: Death of a Kingmaker (Battleground Wars of the Roses)
by David ClarkOn 14 April 1471 the forces of Lancaster under the Earl of Warwick and those of York under Edward IV clashed at Barnet in Hertfordshire in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. In a bloody encounter the two armies fought to resolve a bitter dynastic dispute that had already fuelled twenty years of war. Warwick's death and Edward's victory changed the course of English history.In this new guide to the battle, David Clark, one of the leading battlefield historians, gives a gripping account of the fighting and of the intrigue that led to it, and he provides a full tour of the battlefield itself.
Fighter Aces: Knights of the Skies (Casemate Short History)
by John Sadler Rosie SerdivilleA readable and entertaining introduction to aerial combat in the series that &“would be excellent for someone with an early interest in military history&” (Army Rumour Service). Just over a decade after the first successful powered flight, fearless pioneers were flying over the battlefields of France in flimsy biplanes. Though the infantry in their muddy trenches might see aerial combat as glorious and chivalric, the reality was very different and undeniably deadly: new Royal Flying Corps subalterns in 1917 had a life expectancy of eleven days. In 1915 the term &“ace&” was coined to denote a pilot adept at downing enemy aircraft, and top aces like the Red Baron, René Fonck, and Billy Bishop became household names. The idea of the ace continued after the 1918 Armistice, but as the size of air forces increased, the prominence of the ace diminished. But still, the pilots who swirled and danced in Hurricanes and Spitfires over southern England in 1940 were, and remain, feted as &“the Few&” who stood between Britain and invasion. Flying aircraft advanced beyond the wildest dreams of Great War pilots, the &“top&” fighter aces of World War II would accrue hundreds of kills, though their life expectancy was still measured in weeks, not years. World War II cemented the vital role of air power, and postwar innovation gave fighter pilots jet-powered fighters, enabling them to pursue duels over huge areas above modern battlefields. This entertaining introduction explores the history and cult of the fighter ace from the first pilots through late twentieth-century conflicts, which leads to discussion of whether the era of the fighter ace is at an end.