Modern weapon technology & cunning military strategy have dominated the waging & winning of wars for centuries. The emphasis in warfare has been on mobility ever since the end of “war of position” tactics at the beginning of the 20th century. The invention of the battle tank provided a degree of mobility never achieved before & proved a decisive factor in ending the First World War. The so-called “ Blitzkrieg” introduced at the beginning of the Second World War was only successful on the basis of modern battle tanks in combination with highly-efficient air cover supplied by the German Luftwaffe. The exact analysis of important tank battles highlight the technical standards & tactical values & the involvement of the tank crews. This programme features rare film excerpts in both colour & black & white to illustrate the development of the German tank from the humble beginnings during the First World War right up to Hitler's final defeat in 1945. ...

The Steam Railway tells the fascinating story of the age of the steam locomotive. The era when the speed & power of the steam train epitomized the freedom & romance of travel, the age when although elaborate & delicate, the steam railway was one of the most successful feats of construction & organisation ever evolved by man. The locomotives, the rolling stock & liveries, the journeys & the architecture; all of which went to make one of the greatest eras in railway history; an age now preserved in glorious detail on this DVD. ...

Even the most advanced aircraft remains a superbly sophisticated concoction of computerised metal, until a human being flips the first switch. Accordingly this fascinating history is mainly one of men & their deeds, their courage & their foresight, & above all, their sacrifices & a detailed record of their triumphs over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. From 1917 through to the 21st century, this series also

Includes:: all the aircraft from the Sopwith Camel to the Eurofighter; & all the many varied roles undertaken by the RAF, including their offensives during The First World War, The Second World War, Malaya, Aden, The Middle East, The Falklands Campaign, the Gulf War, Bosnia & the Former Yugoslavia. This history of the Royal Air Force is a record of the unconquerable spirit of the men, the aircraft & the development, over the course of the 20th Century, of the finest air force in the world.

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The ship is one of the greatest accomplishments of the human race. That we have used it to travel to new & mysterious lands, vanquish our enemies & trade for exotic goods in distant ports make its history very rich indeed. The purpose of this book is to present the informed reader, who has an interest in ships, with a full account of both the technical & cultural development of this most fascinating & influential invention. The author, Richard Woodman, has drawn together the historical strands of each ship-type to produce a thoroughly compelling account culminating in a summary of contemporary developments & speculation about the future. Author: Richard Woodman Over 300 colour & b&w illustrations 352 pages Reprint
- March 1999295 x 248 mm Hardback Whether for good or evil, we have used the ship in our struggle to dominate the world around us, accomplishing spectacular feats of courage & exploration, exploiting & destruction. From the development of the dugout canoe to the very large container carrier we have created the largest mobile structures on the planet. The book starts with descriptions of primitive craft, leading to the early trading vessels & warships. From there the transition to the first full-rigged ship, the carrack, is discussed. The introduction of steam is clarified with details on how this gradual process, although finally allowing the steamship to usurp the sailing ship in many of her former roles, allowed sailing vessels to reach their final & prolonged heyday in the colourful tea clipper races. The upheavals of the twentieth century with the arrival of the big-gun battleship, aircraft carrier & the nuclear submarine are given comprehensive coverage. Throughout the book, the impact of technology on the evolution of the ship is dealt with logically to put developments in their economic & political contexts, & changes in the design of both warships & merchantmen are outlined. Entwined with this history are the stories of the characters who influenced ship design & the men who commanded them. The book in general follows the arguments propounded in Conway's highly praised History of the Ship series. These are underpinned with the author's many years of seagoing experience & numerous fiction & non-fiction writings on maritime topics. Whilst dealing with a hugely complex subject, the author presents his truly international thesis in a highly readable & enlightening manner. The book is complete with a full glossary & extensive bibliography. Publisher: Conway Maritime Press
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The ship is one of the greatest accomplishments of the human race. That we have used it to travel to new & mysterious lands, vanquish our enemies & trade for exotic goods in distant ports make its history very rich indeed. The purpose of this book is to present the informed reader, who has an interest in ships, with a full account of both the technical & cultural development of this most fascinating & influential invention. The author, Richard Woodman, has drawn together the historical strands of each ship-type to produce a thoroughly compelling account culminating in a summary of contemporary developments & speculation about the future. Author: Richard Woodman Over 300 colour & b&w illustrations 352 pages 295 x 248 mm Paperback Whether for good or evil, we have used the ship in our struggle to dominate the world around us, accomplishing spectacular feats of courage & exploration, exploiting & destruction. From the development of the dugout canoe to the very large container carrier, we have created the largest mobile structures on the planet. The book starts with descriptions of primitive craft, leading to the early trading vessels & warships. From there the transition to the first full-rigged ship, the carrack, is discussed. The introduction of steam is clarified with details on how this gradual process, although finally allowing the steamship to usurp the sailing ship in many of her former roles, allowed sailing vessels to reach their final & prolonged heyday in the colourful tea clipper races. The upheavals of the twentieth century with the arrival of the big-gun battleship, aircraft carrier & the nuclear submarine are given comprehensive coverage. Throughout the book, the impact of technology on the evolution of the ship is dealt with logically to put developments in their economic & political contexts, & changes in the design of both warships & merchantmen are outlined. Entwined with this history are the stories of the characters who influenced ship design & the men who commanded them. The book in general follows the arguments propounded in Conway's highly praised History of the Ship series: these are underpinned with the author's many years of seagoing experience & numerous fiction & non-fiction writings on maritime topics. Whilst dealing with a hugely complex subject, the author presents his truly international thesis in a highly readable & enlightening manner. The book is complete with a full glossary & extensive bibliography. Publisher: Conway Maritime Press ...

What does it mean to be an island people? How has our rich & complex relationship with the sea shaped our national psyche? This beautifully illustrated exploration of Britain's maritime history sets out to discuss these questions. Brian Lavery takes the reader on a journey around the ports & harbours of Britain's coast, across rivers & along canals, climbing up lighthouses & strolling down piers. He moves with consummate skill between topics as varied as the rise of the Royal Navy & the development of specialised fisheries, the motives behind exploration & emigration & the protection of our shores from invasion, to deliver an all-encompassing history that is accessible & revealing. The pages are alive with tales of the great naval heroes, famous battles, legendary explorers & talented shipbuilders & architects. Each chapter

Includes:: a featured ship, dockyard, museum or notable maritime site, such as Chatham Dockyard, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, HMS Belfast, Liverpool's historic port, & the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh. The book is rounded off with a Gazeteer of over 100 heritage sites. Author: Brian Lavery 176 pages 279 x 216mm Hardback The book is published as part of the major Sea Britain 2005 initiative whose aim is to co-ordinate all the various events that are planned for the Trafalgar bicentennary & promote the role that the sea plays & has played in British culture. Partners include The National Maritime Museum, The National Trust, English Heritage, the RNLI, The Royal Yachting Association & the Official Nelson Commemorative Committee, among others, with the support of the Department of Culture, Media & Sport. Each of these organisations has made a committment to the promotion of this book. Publisher: Conway Maritime Press

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Designed in part by Dugald Drummond who was the Chief Engineer of the Caledonian Railway & built as a solitary example of its class by Neilson & Co in 1886, the 4-2-2 saw extensive service in the late 19th Century when operating the express service between Carlisle & Edinburgh, known at the time as " Race to Scotland". After the First World War the 4-2-2 locomotive was reserved for hauling the directors coach but in 1930 after acquiring the Crimson Lake livery of the LMS the locomotive reverted back to ordinary traffic working local train services between Perth & Dundee making it the last Single Wheeler to work in traffic in the British Isles. Each specially presented limited edition train pack

Includes:: a numbered certificate. Available: 2nd quarter. Manufacturer: Hornby Model: R2806 The Last Single Wheeler 'LMS Dean Train Pack
- Ltd Edition


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The Magic of Mystery Quilt by Gillian Cooper We all need a bit of mystery in our lives. Mystery quilts are so much fun! Join us for Popular Patchwork’s mystery quilt designed by Gillian Cooper, starting with Part One, the shopping! In Part Two of Popular Patchwork’s mystery quilt, we get started with the blues. In Part Three we continue making the quilt top units... In Part Four we continue making the units. In Part Five of Popular Patchwork’s latest mystery quilt, we finish making the units & the mystery is revealed! Finished

Size: Larger quilt: Approx. 198cm (78) square Smaller quilt: Approx. 107cm (42) square Skill Level: Beginner This project is an extract from Popular Patchwork magazine published in September
- December 2009 & January 2010. It is a Digital Edition & comes as a downloadable PDF file.


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- The remarkable life of Herschel Mc Kee Herschel Mc Kee's remarkable life story reads like that of a comic-book hero. A daredevil, a leader of men &, above all, a survivor, Mc Kee fought in both World Wars, suffering numerous skirmishes with death. His colourful life included spells as a Foreign Legion soldier, fighter-pilot ace with the elite Lafayette Flying Corps, prisoner-of-war escapee, racing driver, WWII bomber-wing commander & test pilot. His amazing resilience led to him being nicknamed ' The Man Who Would Not Die' while he was still alive. Written in a lively, engaging style, here is the true story of an extraordinary man. ' Represents a fine effort from an author who has plenty of stories to tell' Autosport 'A hugely entertaining tale of a man who lived his life without fear' Motorsport Hardback, 234 x 156mm, 272 pages, 32 b&w illustrations ...