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A classic collection showing our national foibles by the celebrated & much-loved cartoonist An assertion of the importance of tea. A keen interest in the weather. A fondness for laughing at your own anecdotes. A weakness for oak beams. A tendency to over-indulge dogs. The British havent changed much since the 1930s when Ponts first witty & hilarious observations on the national character appeared in Punch" magazine. Ponts plump rolling-pin wielding cooks & solar-topeed imperialists capture a distinct moment in British inter-war history but his observations of character are timeless. In the nursery at the opera or in the bath in tweed or tennis whites or bowler hat Pont conjures distinct complete personalities with a few strokes of his pen. Charming idiosyncratic &
- above all
- wonderfully funny this unforgettable collection will bring Ponts extraordinary talent to a new generation in a beautiful single volume."

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The 1970s witnessed more changes to the trucking industry in Europe than any previous decade. Whilst European truck builders had been developing powerful vehicles capable of operating at between 35 to 38 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) & equipped with comfortable sleeper cabs for long haul international journeys in the UK the truck builders were playing catch up. The 70s witnessed a number of amalgamations mergers & take-overs that would change the face of the pan-European trucking industry. It saw the birth of the infamous British Leyland empire which was to have far-reaching & disastrous consequences for all the manufacturers it engulfed. In the face of booming sales of European heavyweights both Ford & Bedford launched heavyweight models aimed at this key sector but like most other British truck manufacturers it was too little too late... This is a unique account of a turbulent period in trucking history. ...

This is a price-guide reference book containing up-to-date values & lots of historical information on all campaign medals & related items awarded to British & Irish citizens from the second Boer War in 1899 to the current Iraq conflict. Every campaign is covered including details of the various clasps awarded. Also covered are UN & NATO engagements where British or Irish troops were involved. A separate section is also devoted to the medals of Eire from 1916 onwards. The images are full colour & are often full page sized. ...

A total of eleven British armoured divisions were formed during the 1939-1945 war but as this highly informative book reveals just eight saw action. In 1940 only 1st Armoured Division faced the overwhelming German blitzkrieg & it was in the North African desert that the armoured division concept came of age. The terrain was ideal for armoured warfare & six divisions of 8th Army fought Rommel's panzers to a standstill. Three were disbanded prior to the invasion of Sicily & Italy. D-Day saw the Guards Armoured the Desert Rats 11th & the unique 79th Armoured Divisions in action. Of particular interest is the influence of the men who led these formations & the way their characters contributed to the success or failure of operations. While some went on the greater heights others were dismissed either fairly or unfairly. The stakes were high. The author describes many fascinating aspects of armoured warfare from the reluctance to replace the horse the development of tactics or the different & improving tanks be they infantry support (I-Tank) or the faster cruiser tanks. Due to British design failure great reliance was placed on the US Grant & Sherman with the Comet coming late & the Centurion too late. The combination of historical narrative & well researched analysis & fact make this an invaluable book for the student of WW2 & armoured warfare. ...

The inportance of the British Army's contribution to World War II
- & of WWII in the history of the British Army
- is impossible

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The fascination with the British involvement in the First World War extends to all aspects of the conflict. The battles & their outcomes; the armies & their leaders; the conditions of trench warfare; & the controversies form part of the growing literature examining every aspect of a war that was to cast a shadow over the rest of the twentieth century the effects of which are still being felt today. For the British army the cap badge is the most easily identifiable form of insignia. It represents a distillation of the pride of the regiment its various battle honors & symbols borne proudly on the metallic emblem that was worn on all headdress even within the trenches. Identification of the cap badge on old photographs is a first important step in unraveling the military service of an individual. Cap badges have been collected avidly since they were first thought of in the nineteenth century. Cap-badge collecting is as popular now as it has ever been; yet with a growing number of fakes & forgeries there is a need for a book that illustrates clearly the main types & allows the collector & family historian alike to understand their meaning. Surprisingly there are no real comprehensive web-based resources; & the available books (many of which are out of print) are often dull arcane & poorly illustrated with grey muddy images of otherwise spectacular badges. This book illustrates for the first time in full color & high quality images of the main types of badges used by the British Army in World War I. In addition contemporary illustrations of the soldiers themselves wearing the badges & the wider importance of their symbolism is also included. Employing the skills of an established writer (and collector) & artist it provides a unique reference guide for all people interested in the World War I. ...

Items connected with the British military have always been extremely popular with collectors & the intricate & beautiful badges made to denote a soldiers regiment have always been keenly collected due to their small size high quality & the fascinating stories of military derring-do that lie behind each one. ...

Based on contemporary records & paintings this book identifies each cavalry & infantry regiment & illustrates changes in uniforms their facing colours & the nature & shape of lace worn by officers NCOs & private soldiers from 1751 to 1783. Regiments that served in the American War of Independence are noted & the book

Includes:: more than 200 full-colour plates of uniforms & distinctions. Divided into four sections it not only details the cavalry & infantry uniforms of the period but also the tartans of the Highland regiments some of which were short-lived & the distinction of the Guards regiments.

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To see the great art galleries stately homes & museums up & down Britain today is to witness the rich story of the British as art collectors a narrative that mirrors the history of the country. In this remarkable new book James Stourton & Charles Sebag-Montefiore present a comprehensive survey of British art collectors down the centuries. The major collecting landmarks covered include Henry VIII who harnessed the arts in the service of the crown Charles I & the Whitehall Circle the Grand Tour & the country house boom the bonanza created by the Napoleonic Wars & the Industrial Revolution French taste the collecting of Spanish art the passion for Florence the 19th-century heyday for the creation of museums the private collectors who sparked the belated British love affair with Impressionism the States role in patronage & collecting after World War II & the manner in which London has recently become a metropolis of contemporary art. Yet the authors strengths lie not only in these grand themes but also in their mastery of detail through the different eras. They write with equal authority about the royal patronage & collecting of the Tudor period with which they begin & the collectors of today.

Includes:: over 300 illustrations including many of the greatest works of art to have featured in British collections.

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