This is not history for history's sake however
- this is the history of our present & future long beyond cold war into war on terror
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In The Untold Life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Lady Colin Campbell tells the griping true story of Elizabeths life. She reveals the truth behind: the mystery of her birth; her intra-family relationships; how she set about getting married; her relationship with her eldest brother-in-law prior to her marriage & afterwards when he was Prince of Wales Edward VIII & Duke of Windsor; how she came to marry his younger brother Bertie; how the other members of the Royal Family viewed Elizabeth at various stages in her life & theirs; the real state of her marriage; the circumstances surrounding the birth of her two children & why she never had any more; the part she played behind-the-scenes in the abdication crisis; her antipathy towards Wallis Simpson & what their relationship was; Lord Beaverbrooks interpretation of events & the crucial part he played during the abdication & afterwards; Elizabeths relationship with him; whether she had flirtations & romances during her marriage; Berties friendships with other women; Elizabeths popularity during the Second World War & the contribution she made to the welfare of the nation during it; her role as wife & mother during & after it her opposition to Prince Philip & her attempts to induce Lilibet to marry a peers son; Berties opposition & the reason why; Berties illness & death; her adjustment to relatively young widowhood
- the trouble she gave & the trouble she saved; her difficult relationship with Princess Margaret & the opinions of Margaret & some of her close friends & lovers of Elizabeths true character; her role as a grandmother & how she treated her varying grandchildren; her incredibly luxurious & fun-filled lifestyle during the last forty years of her life; whether her drinking & gambling were really the problems they were rumoured to be; her relations with Diana & other in-laws especially when their marriages were collapsing; her death & its aftermath.
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Untold Stories" Alan Bennetts first major collection of prose since his bestselling " Writing Home" brings together the finest & funniest of his writing over the last ten years. Two recordings feature selected material from " Untold Stories": Part 1: Stories contains the title piece & Part 2: The Diaries (also available from BBC Audio) covers Alan Bennetts much-celebrated diaries for 1997--2004. Part 1: Stories " Untold Stories" is a poignant family memoir recalling the marriage of Alans parents the lives & deaths of his aunts & the uncovering of a long-held family secret. At times heartrending & at others extremely funny " Untold Stories" is a matchless & unforgettable journey into Alan Bennetts past." ...

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. Two recordings feature selected material from " Untold Stories: Part 1: Stories" (also available from BBC Audio) contains the title piece & " Part 2: The Diaries" covers Alan Bennett's much-celebrated diaries for 1997-2004. " Part 2: The Diaries" Alan Bennett's diaries from 1997-2004 are an erudite collection of witty yet poignant recollections told in his own unique voice. Whether appreciating the simple pleasures of nature or commenting on religion politics or the arts his observations are incisive funny & yet always meaningful." ...

This book takes a unique look at the first Boer war by concentrating on the events & battles of the First Boer War. Due attention is also given to the 2nd Boer War
- its origins key players & significance for the future of South Africa. The personal stories of heroism & sacrifice sieges rebellions & battles make for an enthralling & dramatic tale
- a classic of military history that will find a ready audience amongst military enthusiasts.

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When Jessica brings her granny into school for Unusual Day Miss Johnson thinks shes got muddled up with Family Day. Her granny may be wearing a tracksuit & trainers but she still looks like a fairly ordinary granny. However when Unusual Day is disrupted by a fire next door everybody discovers just how unusual Jessicas granny is... ...

Famous makes & models dominate motorcycle history but there have been many fascinating designs that never reached the spotlight. In the shadows lesser-known
- & often wacky
- motorcycles have come & gone. Unusual Motorcycles" is a celebration of the bikes scooters side-cars & engines that never quite made it. With insightful text accompanied by around 500 photographs this attractive book is a must-have for all fans of motorbikes & their history."

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Life is so unfair & it sends many things to try Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs & pillar of the Institute of Romance Philology in the proud Bavarian city of Regensburg. There is the undeserved rise of his rival (and owner of a one-legged dachshund) Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer; the interminable ramblings of the librarian Herr Huber; & the condescension of his colleagues with regard to his unmarried state. But when his friend Ophelia Prinzel takes it upon herself to match-make & duly produces a cheerful heiress with her own Schloss it appears that the professors true worth is about to be recognised. Maddening idiotic & hugely entertaining von Igelfeld is an inspired comic creation. ...

In the middle of a rainy Swedish summer a little girl is abducted from a crowded train. Despite hundreds of potential witnesses no one noticed when the girl was taken. Her mother left behind at the previous station alerted the crew immediately. But as the train pulled into Stockholm Central Station the girl was nowhere to be seen. To Inspector Alex Recht of the Stockholm police this looks like a classic custody row. But none of the evidence adds up & young Investigative Analyst Fredrika Bergman is convinced the case is far more complex than her boss is prepared to admit. So when the missing child is found dead in the far north of Sweden with the word UNWANTED scribbled on her forehead the rule book is finally thrown out of the window. Now on the trail of a ruthless murderer with a terrifying agenda will Alex & Fredrika manage to put aside their differences & work together to find the killer before it's too late? ...

Donald Barnard came to England from St Lucia to join the RAF as a bomber pilot. On his second tour of operations he was shot down over northern France in September 1942. He was rewarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross whilst missing in action. Donald evaded capture; assisted to Spain by an escape network & later compiled a detailed diary of his entire evasion exploits. Posted to test fly Spitfires flying in excess of 1 000 individual aircraft. Barnard then moved to the Far East supply dropping in 1945. In Burma disapproving of the delay in recovering the emaciated allied POWs he decided to take an aircraft without authority. 25 prisoners were recovered from Bankok to Rangoon. After a full Court Martial he was dismissed from the RAF. He flew civilian aircraft after the war in Australia & in Britain joining No.2 Civil Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit in Norfolk 1953. Flying ended for him in 1955 & he died in 1997 at the age of 79. Rarely has the opportunity been available to reproduce from a diary such a personal account of evasion. A bomber & Spitfire pilot Court Martialled for the rescue of Japanese held emaciated allied prisoners of war creates a unique career story supported by French resistance sources original photographs. ...