El Alamein was the World War II land battle Britain had to win. By the summer of 1942 Rommel's German forces were threatening to sweep through the Western Desert & drive on to the Suez Canal & Britain was in urgent need of military victory. Then in October after 12 days of attritional tank battle & artillery bombardment Montgomery's Eighth Army with Australians & New Zealanders playing crucial roles in a genuinely international Allied fighting force broke through the German & Italian lines at El Alamein. It was a turning-point in the war after which in Churchill's words we never had a defeat". Stephen Bungay's book is as much at home analysing the crucial logistics of keeping desert armies supplied with petrol & tank parts as it is reappraising the combat strategies of Montgomery & Rommel & ranges widely from the domestic political pressures on Churchill to the aerial siege of Malta key to the control of the Mediterranean. & in a chapter on " The Soldier's War" Bungay graphically evokes the phantasmagoric blur of thunderous cannonade & tormenting heat that was the lot of the individual men who actually fought & died in the desert." ...

Alan Bennett reads five more extracts from Untold Stories" his major collection of new writings. " Untold Stories" Alan Bennett's first major collection of prose since his bestselling " Writing Home" brings together the finest & funniest of his writing over the last ten years. Following on from " Untold Stories: Part 1: Stories" & " Part 2: The Diaries" (also available from BBC Audiobooks) " Part 3: Written on the Body" is both a reflection on Alan Bennett's childhood & schooldays & a meditation on writing. " Written on the Body" is a sideways look at Bennett's schooldays at Leeds Modern School & a recollection of the growing pains of puberty. " Seeing Stars" is a nostalgic view of the movies of the Forties seen by Bennett & his family in any one of the half a dozen cinemas in their district in Leeds including the Western the Clifton the Picturedrome & the Lyric. Finally " Staring Out of the Window" lets us into Bennett's creative process which apparently consists of a good deal of...well...staring out of the window. Alan Bennett's television series " Talking Heads" has become a modern-day classic as have many of his works for the stage including " Forty Years On" " The Lady in the Van" " The Madness of George III" (together with the Oscar-nominated screenplay " The Madness of King George") & an adaptation of " The Wind in the Willows". " The History Boys" won the Evening Standard & Critics' Circle awards for Best Play the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play the South Bank Award & six Tony Awards." ...

Alan Bristow founder of Bristow Helicopters died seven days after completing his autobiography. He was a truly remarkable man; his full-page obituary was published in The Times & The Daily Telegraph. As a merchant navy officer cadet during the war Bristow survived two sinkings played a part in the evacuation of Rangoon & was credited with shooting down two Stukas in North Africa. He joined the Fleet Air Arm & trained as one of the first British helicopter pilots he was the first man to land a helicopter on a battleship & became Westland's first helicopter test pilot. Sacked for knocking out the sales manager he flew in France Holland Algeria Senegal & elsewhere narrowly escaping many helicopter crashes before winning the Croix de Guerre evacuating wounded French soldiers in Indochina. For four years he flew for Aristotle Onassis's pirate whaling fleet in Antarctica before joining Douglas Bader & providing support services to oil drillers in the Persian Gulf. Out of that grew Bristow Helicopters Ltd the largest helicopter company in the world outside America. Bristow's circle included the great helicopter pioneers such as Igor Sikorsky & Stan Hiller test pilots like Harold Penrose & Bill Waterton Sheiks & Shahs & political leaders business giants like Lord Cayzer & Freddie Laker
- with whom he tossed a coin for GBP67 000 in 1969
- & the author James Clavell a lifelong friend whose book Whirlwind was a fictionalised account of Bristow's overnight evacuation of his people & helicopters from revolutionary Iran. Bristow represented Great Britain at four in hand carriage driving with the Duke of Edinburgh & precipitated the ' Westland Affair' when he made a takeover bid which eventually led to the resignation of Michael Heseltine & Leon Brittain & almost to the downfall of Margaret Thatcher

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Alan Dunn is one of the world leaders in sugar crafting & his expertise & elegant touch come together beautifully in this his latest book. Alans stunning life-like floral arrangements are simply breathtaking. Chapter 1 looks at flower & foliage build-ups & shows you how to create all the most popular classic flowers along with the more unusual & exotic ones. Next follows a chapter on arrangements showing you how to put together beautiful sprays & displays from the flowers you have learnt to make. Finally the Cakes chapter showcases a selection of flowers on individual cakes. Along with practical information on everything you need to know about sugar crafting at the front of the book this really is your one-stop guide to all things sugar craft. ...

Marking momentous occasions is an important part of everyday life & what better way to do so than with one of these stunning ...

Over 100 recipes
- all illustrated
- of cake decorating in the classic Alan Dunn style. Allan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of

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Great campsites across Europe ideal for lovers of the great outdoors. With thousands of campsites across Europe choosing one can be a bewildering task. This guide aims to make life easier providing a realistic digestible number of great campsites while ensuring you find a great holiday destination ideal for outdoor activ ...

Want to explore the great outdoors? Great campsites across Europe well located for scenic walking & cycling. With thousands of campsites across Europe choosing one can be a bewildering task. This guide aims to make life easier providing a realistic digestible number of great campsites while ensuring you find a great holiday destination. ...

This ever-popular guide to quality parks in the UK & Ireland is a 'bible' for many regular readers who tour around Britain & Ireland as well as those seeking a camping weekend at short notice. Featuring British & Irish parks in all corners of the UK & Ireland this guide book is a glove-box favourite. ...

This informative guide to quality camping & caravanning sites in Europe is ever-popular especially with those planning a touring holiday. Featuring campsites across Europe this guide to European campsites is a must for anyone seeking campsites in all corners of Europe. ...