The SS Great Britain designed by Isambard Brunel was the first ocean-going vessel to be screw-driven & built entirely of iron. When she was launched in 1843 she was twice the size of any previous ship & her revolutionary design heralded a complete break with traditional ship construction. As is the case for many historic ships however there is a surprising shortage of informative & well illustrated guides for reference during a visit or for research by enthusiasts
- ship modellers naval buffs historians or students. This new series redresses the gap. Written by experts & containing more than 200 specially commissioned photographs each title takes the reader on a superbly illustrated tour of the ship from bow to stern & deck by deck. Significant parts of the vessel
- for example the propeller steering gear engine & accommodation
- are given detailed coverage both in words & pictures so that the reader has at hand the most complete visual record & explanation of the ship that exists. In addition the importance of the ship both in her own time & now as a museum vessel is explained while her design & build & her career prior to restoration & exhibition are all described. No other books offer such superb visual impact & detailed information as the Seaforth Historic Ship Series
- a truly groundbreaking concept bringing the ships of our past vividly to life.



...

Isambard Kingdom Brunels SS Great Britain was a world first when she was launched at Bristol in 1843. This uniquely successful passenger ship design brought together the leading technologies of the day (screw propeller iron hull & 1 000hp steam engine) to transform world travel. She was a successful ship & continued sailing until 1886 travelling 32 times around the world & nearly one million miles at sea. Great Britain was finally abandoned in the Falkland Islands in 1937 but in 1970 an ambitious salvage effort brought her home to Bristol where today she is conserved. ...

Built in 1952 for the United States Lines the SS United States was unlike any other ocean liner. She had been designed from the outset to serve as both a transatlantic ferry & as a troop & hospital ship in time of war. Her design was a military secret & her power plant similar to that fitted to the largest of American battleships. She could do a staggering 45kt over twelve knots faster than her nearest rival. She soon became the ship to be seen on & the illustrious passeger lists included the Duke & Duchess of Windsor who favoured the ships Duck Suite. The entry of the SS United States the largest passenger ship built in America marked the first time since the 1850s that an American ship had held the Blue Rib&. This amazing ocean liner surpassed European speed records by a huge margin & a ship as fast is unlikely ever to be built again. William H. Miller tells the story of the SS United states from her construction at Newport Mews to the present day. Today she lies derelict in Philadelphia but big plans are in place to restore her & turn her back into a luxurious floating hotel. ...

By the end of the Second World War the reputation of Hitlers Schutzstaffel (SS) had become so heavily sullied that the organization was branded criminal & banned in post-war Germany. Its authority in Nazi Germany had been enormous having been made responsible for Reich internal security it implemented Nazi racial policy & managed the death camps. Most oddly it produced a rival military organization to the German regular army
- fighting alongside it but never a part of it
- the Waffen SS. SS-Totenkopf is a photographic account of that units birth & first month of active service. The Division formed from concentration camp guards fought alongside Rommels 7th Panzer Division against the only British armoured counter-attack of the campaign. However instances of atrocities committed by men of the Totenkopf began early & the machine-gunning of 97 prisoners of the Norfolk Regiment occurred. In this brief & violent history of the birth of an SS division the original captions & text which accompanied the photographs have been retained in order to capture the original flavour. The translated text appears inter spaced with the authors explanations. The SS War Correspondent photographers risked their lives to take some of these pictures so up-with-the-action they were & with their blood up their comments are nationalistically passionate. This is understandable so successful was the Blitzkrieg campaign in 1940 compared to the efforts of their fathers in 1914-1918 when they failed to break through to the Channel coast. It helps us to understand the euphoric reaction of some of the Totenkopf at the sight of the English Channel.

...

Find out what happens when clumsy Duck tries not to wake Goat's baby in this boisterous toddler book with a pop-up surprise! When Duck bounces in to Goat's house he certainly doesn't expect to have to wait while the baby is being looked after. Duck tries to speed things up but being Duck he only manages to make them worse! When will Goat & the baby be ready to go out for a drive with Duck? ...

OS Explorer Map is the Ordnance Surveys most detailed map & is recommended for anyone enjoying outdoor activities such as walking horse riding & off-road cycling. The series provides complete GB coverage & can now be used in all weathers thanks to OS Explorer Map
- Active a tough versatile version of the OS Explorer Map.
...

Jolly hockey sticks! Its the twins first year at St Clares
- that means three terms of adventures in the same volume for the first
...

Saint Cuthbert the best-loved Northern saint was born in the early seventh century & lived during an exciting & mysterious time in the history of Northumbria. During his life he had connections with many places
- the Lammermuir Hills Melrose Ripon in North Yorkshire the Farne Islands Whitby Carlisle Coldingham Coquet Island & Lindisfarne
- where he served both as prior & bishop. He made many excursions into wild Northumbria to spread the word of Christianity. Cuthbert died on Inner Farne on 20 March 576 AD but his fame did not end there. Eleven years after his death his body was found to be incorrupt. Lindisfarne became a place of pilgrimage
- the Lindisfarne Gospels were produced in his honour & his great following further developed. He had prophesied the Viking invasion that made the monks of Lindisfarne take his coff & flee the island to wander for seven years. They eventually settled in Chester-le-Street near Durham for over a hundred years until they fled from the Vikings again
- this time to Ripon. On their return they found the island peninsula of Durham & this was chosen as the final resting place for St Cuthbert. Eventually the Normans built the magnificent Durham Cathedral now a World Heritage Site to house his tomb. His cult following was as great as that of Thomas Becket. In this lavishly illustrated history of St Cuthbert Philip Nixon guides the reader through the scenery & architecture that formed the backdrop to the saints life work & legacy.



...

St Pancras station has long been an iconic landmark on the London landscape & one of its most distinctive monuments. This new edition is published to coincide with the reopening of Scotts wondrous Gothic hotel &

Includes:: a new final chapter & illustrations. Simon Bradley traces the history of the station introducing us to the men behind the architecture & looks at its new international status. This fine new edition

Includes:: a fascinating chapter on the new hotel & some timely revisions bringing it fully up to date.



...

Sir Christopher Wrens St Pauls built after the Fire of London of 1666 has become the Citys most familiar landmark its dome with the ball & cross above it symbolic of Londons steadfastness down the centuries & its endurance during the Second World War. When it was newly completed in the early eighteenth century it seemed breathtaking & unlike any other cathedral or church in Britain. Todays building is not the first to occupy the site for this has been a place of Christian worship for 1 400 years. The medieval Cathedral with a tower & spire soaring above the city was at the time one of the wonders of Europe. Beautifully illustrated with rare items from city & cathedral archives & glorious colour photography of todays building & its treasures St Pauls Cathedral: 1 400 Years at the Heart of London tells of St Pauls fascinating history. ...