Almost a century on interest in The Great War could be expected to have faded & died; after all the last who fought in it have passed on. Yet indisputably interest is increasing not falling. Families seek their own connection both with ancestors who fought & all too often died & with those at home who had to live & cope with unimaginable losses. This book which sets out to fill a gap is written for the layman who may have some knowledge about the Great War of 1914-18 but who wants to know more. It is a story not a history. It is a guide but not a guidebook. It is a story about people but not a biography. It is well nigh impossible to visualise 20 000 men dying in a day on the Somme but it is possible to look at the individual stories that come together to make up such a tragedy. Covering vital background information graphic explanations of the conduct of the War & vivid personal testimonies The Great War Explained offers a highly readable way of gaining a better understanding of this most dramatic period of World history. ...

Robert Fisks bestselling eyewitness account of the events that have shaped the Middle East is alive with vivid reporting & incisive historical analysis. The history of the Middle East is an epic story of tragedy betrayal & world-shaking events. It is a story that Robert Fisk has been reporting for over thirty years. His masterful narrative spans the most volatile regions of the Middle East chronicling with both rage & compassion the death by deceit of tens of thousands of Muslims Christians & Jews. Robert Fisks remarkable history is also the tale of a journalist at war -- learning of the 9/11 attacks while aboard a passenger jet reporting from a bombed-out Baghdad interviewing Osama bin Laden -- & of the courage & frustration of a life spent writing the first draft of history. ...

The world's first ever battle tank receives the Haynes Manual treatment & its centrepiece is the most prolific British tank of the Great War
- the Tank Mk IV. World authority David Fletcher looks at the anatomy construction & operation of the Mk IV (including rare contemporary eyewitness descriptions) as well as giving fascinating insights into the maintenance & restoration of these historic armoured fighting vehicles. Individual preserved Great War tanks that feature in the manual include Flirt II the Ashford Tank Lodestar III Excellent & Deborah.
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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." ...

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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The 30 ' King' class 4-6-0s were the GWR's most prestigious express passenger engines. When introduced in 1927 they were the most powerful steam locomotives in Britain. The most famous was No. 6000 King George V which visited the USA for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad centenary. It was preserved on withdrawal in 1962 & after steam had finished on British Railways it 'broke the ban' when it returned to main-line operation setting the scene for today's numerous steam specials. Three ' Kings' survive & are always a huge draw for enthusiasts whenever they appear on the main line on heritage railways or exhibition display. ...

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. ...