This title was selected for Guardian" books of the year. The familiar image of the British in the Second World War is that of the plucky underdog taking on German might. David Edgertons bold compelling new history shows the conflict in a new light with Britain as a very wealthy country formidable in arms ruthless in pursuit of its interests & sitting at the heart of a global production system. The British indeed Churchillian vision of war & modernity was challenged by repeated defeat by less well equipped enemies. Yet the end result was a vindication of this vision. Like the United States a powerful Britain won a cheap victory while others paid a great price. " Britains War Machine" by putting resources machines & experts at the heart of a global rather than merely imperial story demolishes some of the most cherished myths about wartime Britain & gives us a very different & often unsettling picture of a great power in action." ...

The coastline of Victorian & Edwardian Britain provided beauty entertainment & the venue for most peoples holidays. But it was also a thriving centre of industry
- shipbuilding & fishing plus the numerous trades associated with dockyards coastal transport & the leisure industry. This book travels around Britains coast
- clockwise from London
- looking at the industries that could be found at many of the cities & towns en route. Illustrated with an amazing collection of coloured postcards & other early photographs the working coast of Britain is brought to life in all its bustling detail.


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Full-colour guide to over 260 pubs throughout the UK which have interiors of real historic significance
- some of them stretching
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This is a comprehensive photographic field guide to the butterflies of Britain & Irel&. This completely revised second edition covers in detail the identification of all 59 butterfly species that currently breed as well as the 4 former breeders 9 rare migrants & 1 species with unknown status. The innovative easy-to-use format aims to help the butterfly-watcher
- beginner or expert
- to identify any species they encounter. It offers: stunning color plates showing typical views of each butterfly with similar-looking species grouped together; photographs of egg caterpillar & chrysalis for all breeding species; detailed species profiles covering: adult identification; behavior; habitat requirements; population & conservation; egg caterpillar & chrysalis; distribution with up-to-date maps; & sections on biology habitats how & where to watch butterflies & other useful information.

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Britain's Cold War Bombers explores the creation & development of the jet bomber tracing the emergence of the first jet designs (the Valiant & Vulcan) through to the first-generation jets which entered service with the RAF & Fleet Air Arm. Each aircraft type is examined looking at how the design was created & how this translated into an operational aircraft. The basic development & service history of each type is explained with a narrative which links the linear appearance of each new design leading to the present day & the latest generation of Typhoon aircraft. Other aircraft types covered are the Canberra Sperrin Victor Scimitar Buccaneer Nimrod Phantom Sea Harrier Jaguar Tornado GR1/4 & Typhoon. ...

Britain hosts a diversity of freshwater environments from torrential hill streams & lowland rivers to lakes & reservoirs ponds & canals & ditches & estuaries. Britain's Freshwater Fishes covers more than 50 species of freshwater & brackish fish found in these waters. This beautifully illustrated guide features in-the-hand & in-the-water photographs throughout & accessible & informative overviews of topics such as fish biology & life cycles. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features with information on status size & weight habitat ecology & conservation. The book also

Includes:: a glossary & suggestions for further reading. This easy-to-use field guide will be invaluable to anyone interested in Britain's freshwater fish life from naturalists & academics to students & anglers. Covers all of Britain's freshwater fishes Features beautiful photos throughout

Includes:: detailed information on more than 50 species the places they inhabit & their roles in Britain's ecosystems Attractively designed & easy to use



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Britain's Holiest Places is now a major six part BBC4 Series Pagans & Pilgrims: Britain's Holiest Places. Britain's Holiest Places reveals the astonishing spiritual heritage lying hidden in every corner of our country. The result of a five-year journey from Orkney to the Channel Islands it opens up a remarkable landscape shaped by centuries of faith. There is something to surprise & enlighten anyone with a sense of the sacred
- from miraculous healing pools astounding works of devotional art mysterious natural features world-famous shrines grand cathedrals to the humblest of country churches. It

Includes:: 500 places in England Wales & Scotl&. Each listing is illustrated & made easily accessible to the visitor with much to inspire as well as much to challenge modern understanding of spiritual experience. The book encompasses the entire spectrum of church & even folk traditions: Anglican Catholic Celtic Orthodox Non-Conformist Presbyterian Quaker & many others. Written with a keen eye for the surreal as well as the sacred the absurd as well as the serious this book is the first complete survey of our islands sacred history.


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Britain's Hoverflies" is a beautifully illustrated photographic field guide to all the genera of hoverflies found in Britain focusing on the species most likely to be identified. Accessible & designed to appeal to a wide audience the book contains more than 500 remarkable photographs exploring the various life stages of all 69 hoverfly genera & the 164 most commonly seen species. Easy-to-use species accounts highlight key identification features including status behavior & habitat requirements. The book also contains distribution maps phenology charts & introductory chapters that examine hoverfly biology. This guide is the perfect companion for wildlife enthusiasts professional ecologists & anyone with an interest in this unique insect family. I

Includes:: more than 500 remarkable photographs depict all 69 hoverfly genera & the 164 most commonly seen species in Britain that can be identified by eye or with a magnifying glass. It offers introductory chapters that explore hoverfly biology. Species accounts highlight key features of each genus & species including status behavior & habitat. Maps & phenology charts examine hoverfly distribution. It is a complete list of the 281 hoverfly species recorded in Britain to date with degrees of identification difficulty."

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Barrie Trinder has been a leading expert on industrial history for many years & this is perhaps his most important book to date: a general overview of the industrial revolution across the British Isles. The industrial revolution was one of the defining changes of human history & it happened in Britain first. It changed radically the way in which goods were made: for the first time large factories were built to house the machines & power systems that had been invented. It led to new ways of working & living: it concentrated workers in large workplaces often in the rapidly growing towns & cities. Along with spectacular profits & economic benefits it brought danger pollution & increasing inequality between rich & poor. Alongside industry arrived canals railways cast-iron bridges & iron ships. The industrial revolution created the country & the society we recognise today. ...

Fully illustrated with stunning photographs of dray horses coopers & grand Victorian architecture an elegy for the loss of ...