You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Over the centuries Yorkshire, the largest and most varied country in England, has helped to shape the history of the nation. From the barrier of the Pennines in the west to the bastion of Falmborough in the east, the region has seen war, insurrection, invention, industrial expansion, political and social development and pioneering achievements in literature, art and science. In this unconventional guide to the people and the places that played parts in this extraordinary story, author Len Markham takes the reader across the country and down the years. He retells the stories of many of the well-known sites and uncovers the intriguing, sometimes secret history of places that are rarely remembered and visited. Along the way he describes the careers and achievements of an exceptional cast of characters- monarchs, bishops, generals, industrialists, inventors, artists, renegades, rogues, eccentrics, murderers and otherwise ordinary men and woman who made a mark for good or ill on the heritage of the country. Over 150 evocative sites are described and illustrated in this invaluable handbook to the intense, sometimes bizarre and always revealing history of Yorkshire.
Over the centuries Yorkshire, the largest and most varied country in England, has helped to shape the history of the nation. From the barrier of the Pennines in the west to the bastion of Falmborough in the east, the region has seen war, insurrection, invention, industrial expansion, political and social development and pioneering achievements in literature, art and science. In this unconventional guide to the people and the places that played parts in this extraordinary story, author Len Markham takes the reader across the country and down the years. He retells the stories of many of the well-known sites and uncovers the intriguing, sometimes secret history of places that are rarely remembered and visited. Along the way he describes the careers and achievements of an exceptional cast of characters- monarchs, bishops, generals, industrialists, inventors, artists, renegades, rogues, eccentrics, murderers and otherwise ordinary men and woman who made a mark for good or ill on the heritage of the country. Over 150 evocative sites are described and illustrated in this invaluable handbook to the intense, sometimes bizarre and always revealing history of Yorkshire.
In the period that we now call the Industrial Revolution mining disasters wrecked the lives of thousands of South Yorkshire families and devastated entire communities. The Husker pit flooding of 1838 in which 26 young girls and boys were killed shocked Victorian society and and was a significant factor in the 1842 Report on Employment of Women and Children in Mines; but earlier, long forgotten disasters are also explored. The Barnsley area was particularly hard-hit during the middle decades of the century with major mining accidents, usually great explosions of firedamp occurring, for example, at Lundhill Colliery (189 men and boys killed); Oaks (361 fatalities, Britains worst pit disaster) and Swaithe Main (143 dead). Scenes of grief, mourning and remarkable heroism provided spectacular copy for Victorian newspapers and magazines such as The Illustrated London News, focusing on the very uncertain and dangerous life of the miner. Despite the importance and widespread occurrence of South Yorkshire mining disasters, which also included dreadful winding accidents and gas emissions, their story has never been told in a single volume.
Sussex may be a comparatively narrow county from north to south but it includes a huge wealth of history. The Little History of Sussex is much the same – it packs a whole lot of history into a relatively small book. From prehistory to the present, this historic county provides reminders of our earliest ancestors and its past as a battleground for the Vikings. Whether being the gateway for the Normans, a playground for princely playboys or a home to holidaymakers, the people of Sussex have seen it all. This means it's not surprising the county still today contains residents who, at times, very much 'wunt be druv!'. The Little History of Sussex covers the county's history in a swift, engaging and lively sweep for those who like their history fresh, funny and full of intrigue.
Aimed at visitors and residents alike, this companion to the history of Wakefield is an indispensable reference guide to the long, varied and sometimes surprising story of the town. Essential information on the people, places and events that played key roles in the story is presented in a convenient A to Z format. Famous and notorious individuals are portrayed here, dramatic, sometimes tragic events are remembered, and familiar local myths and legends are explored. The volume is a source of fascinating insights into Wakefield's past and should provide answers to frequently asked historical questions - the whos, wheres and whys that make up the rich history of the town.
No event in history had such a profound and long-term effect as World War Two, it's consequences still helping to shape the modern world. With our trade routes harassed by U-boats, our skies darkened by the Luftwaffe and our beaches imperilled by the threat of invasion, the period from 1939 to 1945 was a frightening one for ordinary civilians. But the people of Yorkshire responded to the challenge with incredible fortitude, camaraderie, determination and good humour, the tireless efforts of armies of civilians keeping the British lamp of freedom trimmed. This unique compendium of many never-before-published personal reminiscences from the Yorkshire home front paints an astonishing picture of...
The British Isles has a remarkable association with vampires – chilling supernatural creatures of the night. From the nineteenth-century writings of John Polidori, James Rymer, Sheridan Le Fanu and Bram Stoker, to the modern literary horrors of Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Brian Lumley and Kim Newman, the vampire casts a strange and compelling shadow that spreads from the realms of fantasy into the world of the living. Here you will find vampire murderers and vampire hunters together with the real-life mysteries of Croglin Grange, Alnwick Castle, the Vampire of the Villas, the Yorkshire Vampire and the enduring phenomenon of London's famous Highgate Vampire. In this thought-provoking book, illustrated with never before seen photographs and drawing on extensive original research, writer and paranormal historian Paul Adams explores the fascinating history of British vampirism in both fact and fiction. With extensive chapters on the post-war revival of Gothic cinema horror and the influence of cult studio Hammer Films on the vampire in British television and music, here is a modern guide where every page is truly written in blood ...
The landscape and people are the two most distinctive qualities of the Yorkshire Dales, and this book employs new sources and methods to help the reader see both in a different light. In earlier centuries, religious and social factors influenced the first names that were given to children. Distinctive surnames were inherited, and their expansion or decline can throw light on local communities, on migration and population growth. Place-names emerged from regional and customary practices that illuminate topography, husbandry, mining, communications and much more. Thebook also uses material from Quarter Sessions, title deeds, wills and other documents to investigate a wide range of topics that touch on the lives of individuals and families, from religious dissent to sheep-stealing and vagrancy. There is emphasis too on the poor, showing the impact on families and communities of bastardy, fire, flood, violence and other disasters. A book written for anyone interested in the local and family history of the Yorkshire Dales.
Leeds at War 1939-1945 is a comprehensive account of the city's experience of the war, covering in expert detail life on the Home Front set against the background of the wider theaters of war.The narrative of that global conflict is given with a focus on the trials and ordeals that faced the people of Leeds as they cheered their men and women fighters off to war, were bombed and saw their children evacuated to rural areas.Rare insights into the life of war-torn Leeds are included, along with untold stories from the footnotes of that history, from the air-raid shelters to the internment issues. The book incorporates the unique human record of that struggle from memoirs and memories, so that the reader sees the war bottom up from the ordinary people, although the military experiences of Leeds' citizens are not ignored.More controversial topics are also touched upon, such as anti-Semitism, labor troubles and crime, to give a full and fascinating picture of a great city facing profound trials of endurance, courage, and that true Yorkshire grit that has been the hallmark of the city's rise to prominence in Britain.
None