Britains Historic Railway Buildings is a magisterial reference work on the historic structures on Britains railways in England Scotland & Wales. First published in 2003 by OUP the author will bring the book fully up to date to provide a new book on the subject. In the last few decades the value of Britains railway heritage has become increasingly important & today thousands of structures are listed or scheduled. This book

Includes:: over 2 300 of these structures each of which is given a detailed description supported by photographs maps a survey of the evolution of structures summary of the listing process a list of important buildings lost biographical details of leading railway engineers & architects glossary of terms; bibliography & index. Many structures still play an active part in railway operations but this book also covers structures no longer in active use. In this book the reader will find detailed information about the history of all the surviving historic railway structures in Britain arranged in geographical order large & small from Brunels pioneering Thames Tunnel to the modernist Tooting Bec Underground station the monumental Forth Bridge to the small but delightful footbridges; gasworks & stations; viaducts & signalboxes
- a multitude of structures paying tribute to the verve & drive of one of Britains great industries of the last 200 years.


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King Canute Lady Godiva Guy Fawkes Bonnie Prince Charlie Grace Darling & other famous names from 3000 years of history live again in these 100 tragic comic stirring tales of adventure folly & wickedness. These stories many of them virtually forgotten are Britain's heritage told & illustrated with such verve & colour that they are the perfect way to give present-day children a sense of the excitement of history. ...

This book brings together the often separated histories of diplomacy defence economics & empire in a provocative reinterpretation of British decline. It also offers a broader reflection on the nature of international power & the mechanisms of policymaking. For this Second Edition David Reynolds has added a new chapters & extends his lively & incisive analysis to the beginning of the new millennium. ...

The Women's Royal Naval Service was formed in 1917 when the call was for volunteers to release a man for sea service. At the peak there was over 5 000 women serving in Britain & overseas but efforts to maintain the service in peace time were unsuccessful & it was to be 1939 when the Second World War threatened before the Wrens were reformed. Theirs was a different & altogether more demanding role which involved the carrying out of some highly secret & responsible duties & many more of them served outside Britain. By 1945 there were over 75 000 officers & ratings & when the War ended & those who wished were demobilized a permanent Service was set up providing a career for women alongside men of the Royal Navy.rnrn This is their story often told in their own words which mirrors the changing place of women in our society in a century of tremendous social progress. ...

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- its constant change the significant events & the memorable moments that made history. The fascinating
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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. ...

This invaluable information resource which deals with all aspects of British Army organisation recruitment & training has been extremely popular with service personnel the defence industry military libraries & other groups who are interested in the British Army worldwide. Copies can be seen on desks throughout the UK Ministry of Defence & it would be fair to say that almost every foreign defence attache in London has a copy in his briefcase. Chapters include a Defence Overview; Army Organisation; International Commitments; Armour Infantry Artillery Army Aviation Engineers Communications & Combat Service Support; Units of the Army; Recruiting & Training; Reserve Forces plus a final Miscellaneous Chapter which deals with a number of items essential to understanding How the British Army functions on a daily basis. rnrn Lavishly illustrated throughout there is no comparable publication available on the market. ...

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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