This is a masterful history of the First World War covering all areas & explaining the technology & tactics that determined its course. The Great War was the first truly global conflict & it changed the course of world history. Empires fell others were crippled & new contenders emerged. Economies crashed & millions would be affected by the Depression that followed. Understanding The Great War is crucial to understanding the history of the twentieth century & the present day. In this magnum opus critically-acclaimed historian Peter Hart examines the conflict in every arena around the world in a history that combines cutting edge scholarship with vivid & unfamiliar eyewitness accounts from kings & generals & ordinary soldiers. He focuses in particular on explaining how technology & tactics developed during the conflict
- & determined which battles were crucial to its outcome. Combatants from every corner of Earth joined the fray but their voices are rarely heard together. This is a major history of the conflict whose 100th anniversary is fast approaching.
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The Great Warbow" is a vivid & exciting exploration of the bow & arrow as weapons of war. From before the " Domesday Book" through Anglo-Saxon England medieval Wales & Ireland the crusades Bannockburn & the " Wars of the Roses" until the time of the Tudors this book takes us on a wide-ranging & fascinating journey through history. The definitive work on medieval military archery this lively & informative book is essential reading for anyone interested in medieval warfare or the history of archery." ...

This highly visual text is the perfect companion for anyone studying anatomy & physiology. Offering innovative techniques to help students with their learning this user-friendly accessible study skills text is the perfect accompaniment to any course or textbook. Complex processes are brought to life with imaginative diagrams & storylines which aid understanding reinforce memory & also support students with memory dyslexic or mathematical difficulties. ...

The Great Western Beach is Emma Smiths wonderfully atmospheric memoir of a 1920s childhood in Newquay Cornwall. She recalls the rocks the sea the beaches the picnics the teas & pasties the bracing walks the tennis tournaments & bathing parties the curious residents & fascinating holiday-makers
- relishing every glorious salty detail. But above all this is a portrait of a family from the astonishingly clear-eyed perspective of a nine-year-old girl: her furious frustrated father perpetually on his way to becoming a world famous artist but suffering the indignity of being a lowly bank clerk; her beautiful unperceptive mother made for better things perhaps but at least with three fiances killed in the Great War married with children at last; the twins fearless defiant Pam & sickly bewildered Jim for whom life is always an uphill climb & baby Harvey brought on the same winds of change that mean that life with all its complication & wonder cannot stay still & the Cornish playground of Emmas childhood will one day be lost forever.
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The GWRs North Wales tentacles extended from Wrexham to Bala Junction & thence to Blaenau Ffestiniog & via the Cambrian to Barmouth. All these lines are explored here including the sections that today are preserved by no fewer than three very different tourist railways. This brand new Past & Present Companion explores the Great Western Railways historic importance in the north of Wales; both standard gauge & narrow gauge feature within these pages. The past & present comparative treatment is a proven formula for success
- the fact that over 50 titles have been published in the main series speaks volumes literally! In this volume pictures from the real age of steam- steam in years before 1968 & the early diesel years are contrasted with the same locations in recent years. Many lines have long since closed evoking many memories for those young enough to remember while the major preserved railways The Llangollen Railway The Bala Lake Railway & the Fairbourne Railway provide fascinating comparisons with their heritage past
- & of course provide young & old alike with the chance to relive the steam age. Locations covered include Wrexham Blaenau Ffestiniog Barmouth Dolgellau Bala & stations halts junctions & lineside views from across the area.

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With the final elimination of the broad gauge in the early 1890s the Great Western Railway for the first time possessed a fleet of locomotives that was exclusively standard gauge. Under the auspices of George Armstrong William Dean & George Jackson Churchward a number of classic locomotive designs emerged from both Wolverhampton & Swindon works during the final decades of the 19th century. These included the Dean Goods 0-6-0s the Star class 4-6-0s the City class 4-4-0s & the County class 4-4-0s. Peter Darke draws upon the collection of a photographer who was active during the years from 1907 until the early 1960s; he travelled widely over the GWR network during the last years of the company prior to the Grouping in 1923 recording primarily the locomotives & trains that were then in service. The volume

Includes:: a historical overview of the GWR during the Edwardian period coupled with a variety of photographs & detailed captions. He also outlines a number of other pre-Grouping companies
- such as the Midland & South Western Joint
- that were to become part of the GWR in 1923and goes on to discuss the locomotives that the GWR inherited from these companies at the Grouping.



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A new & comprehensive history of one of our best-loved railway companies. Gods Wonderful Railway the astonishing engineering feat of Isambard Kingdom Brunels main line from Paddington to Penzance with its stupendous bridge over the River Tamar endless Box Tunnel & exhilarating stretch alongside the sea at Dawlish Warren has always been beloved of anyone who likes trains. Andrew Rodens comprehensive new history of this remarkable railway company whose well-engineered lines survive not only into the privatised era of First Great Western but also in numerous lovingly restored steam railways like the Dart Valley tells the story of nothing less than the opening-up of the isolated south-west of England to the trade & tourism of the modern age. It has left us with soaring termini like Paddington & Bristol Temple Meads as well as glorious railway institutions like the Night Riviera overnight sleeper to Cornwall that endure to this day (not least thanks to the authors own campaigning!). While the GWRs green locomotives & chocolate & cream carriages may have given way to violet anyone who wants to return to the golden age of the railways will find the companys history an enthralling journey. ...

The Great Western Railway (GWR) was founded in 1833 & would connect London to the West. It was engineered by the famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel & was known to many as Gods Wonderful Railway. Here is the story of how it grew. Ken Gibbs traces the GWRs history from the very beginning. He describes the canals that existed in the approximate area eventually covered by the Great Western Railway & their fate as the railway developed. He then examines the tramroads & plateways that existed in the area fed by the canals the mining quarrying iron working & commercial interests as the Industrial Revolution spread accompanied by the Great Western Railway. The final section looks at the only real opposition to the Great Western: the existing & new railway companies that became targets for takeover as the Great Western expanded its hold & its territory. With Nationalisation in 1947 the GWRs independence ended. All the struggles with canals plateways tramroads & other railway companies were now confined to the history books & the memories of the reducing numbers who knew the Great Western Railway as it was at the height of the steam years. ...

More than 500 of the worlds finest whiskies distilled into one user-friendly pocket guide. Great Whiskies" is the ideal drinking companion for any whisky lover: it is generous knowledgeable & willing to go anywhere! Reflecting the diversity of the whisky world this brings you over 500 varieties from over 22 nations
- from classic whisky-making regions such as Scotland to lesser-known distilleries in China & Japan. Expert tasting notes & full-colour photographs reveal the secrets that give each whisky its character & cherry-picks the best to try. Swot up on key facts & histories of need-to-know distilleries plus get tips & advice on your own whisky trails of key whisky regions. This is a guide that covers every style: single malt blended grain bourbon rye & more. & in a handy pocket-sized format this makes a perfect whisky-lovers gift."
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What better time than the run up to Christmas to read a book on wine that exposes the cheating that goes on in the whole industry in order to learn more about wine. Malcolm Gluck made drinking wine accessible with Superplonk" his yearly review of wines from 1995. He is disturbed that over 15 years on & many popular TV programmes British consumers still think wine is more mysterious than beer & has to cost a fortune. Here he will teach the reader all the tricks learned in 15 years of writing about wine. People serve their friends Spanish bubbly & feel guilty even though it is likely to be a much better product than many French champagnes. In this book Malcolm rips the lid off all the tricks used by the wine world. It is based on his twenty five years of experience as a wine writer. At last wine has found its Jeremy Clarkson!" ...