You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
‘A fascinating, superbly researched and revelatory book – told with tremendous pace and excitement’ William Boyd ‘Rick Stroud writes brilliantly about war … an astonishing book … a wonderful story’ Ben Macintyre 'Enthralling, edge-of-smart exciting and also heart-breaking...Stroud's book is a reminder and fitting testimony to their immense bravery' James Holland On 18 June 1940 General de Gaulle broadcast from London to his countrymen in France about the catastrophe that had overtaken their nation – the victory of the invading Germans. He declared: ‘The flame of French Resistance must not and will not be extinguished.' The Resistance began almost immediately. At first it wa...
The Book of the Moon is an absorbing, clear account of all things lunar. It is divided up into the following chapters: Facts and Figures; The Astronomers, their Charts, Maps and Instruments; Astronauts and Moon Missions; Gods and Myths; Astrology and Magic; Medicine; Miscellany.
Born into a working-class family in London in 1919, Victor Gregg enlisted in the Rifle Brigade at nineteen, was sent to the Middle East and saw action in Palestine. Following service in the western desert and at the battle of Alamein, he joined the Parachute Regiment and in September 1944 found himself at the battle of Arnhem. When the paratroopers were forced to withdraw, Gregg was captured. He attempted to escape, but was caught and became a prisoner of war; sentenced to death in Dresden for attempting to escape and burning down a factory, only the allies' infamous raid on the city the night before his execution saved his life. Gregg's fascinating story, told in a voice that is good-nature...
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 'Extraordinary, and a painful but invigorating read. I've never met anyone who has read it and doesn't rank it as one of their favourite books.' Dolly Alderton 'This story - so fierce and brave and visceral and raw - will stay with me forever. Clover Stroud is a force of nature, and a woman who is fearless in the face of life and death. I loved it.' Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love 'There is so much richly evoked life here... beautifully written.' Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Times 'This redemptive memoir will steal your heart; it will return it bruised but emboldened.' Mail on Sunday 'I have huge admiration for the spirit of this memoir, and its aut...
This is the story of how a small SOE unit led by Patrick Leigh Fermor kidnapped a German general on the Nazi-occupied island of Crete in 1944. For thirty-two days, they were chased across the mountains as they headed for the coast and a rendezvous with a Royal Navy launch waiting to spirit the general to Cairo. Rick Stroud, whose Phantom Army of Alamein won plaudits for its meticulous research and its lightness of touch in the telling, brings these same gifts to bear in this new project. From the adrenalin rush of the kidnapping, to the help provided by the Cretan partisans and people, he explains the overall context of Crete's role in World War II and reveals the devastating consequences of this mission for them all. There have been other accounts, but Kidnap in Crete is the first book to draw on all the sources, notably those in Crete as well as SOE files and the accounts, letters, and private papers of its operatives in London and Edinburgh.
Victor Gregg, born in 1919, has had a rich and fascinating life. King's Cross Kid follows his London childhood from the age of five, when life was so hard that the Salvation Army arranged for young Vic to be taken to the Shaftesbury Home for Destitute Children. Home again a year later, the scallywag years of late childhood began. Then, after the years of street gangs and run-ins with the law, Vic leaves school at fourteen and his real adventures start, and with them a working-class apprenticeship in survival. Ending with his enlistment in the army on the day of his eighteenth birthday, this prequel to the bestselling Rifleman will appeal to the many readers who were charmed by Victor Gregg's engaging, honest and warm voice.
An up-to-date, clear and interesting introduction to our magnificent moon from the the award-winning author of science books for children. Shining light on all kinds of fascinating facts about our moon, this simple, introductory book includes information on how the moon affects the oceans' tides, why the same side of the moon always faces earth, why we have eclipses, and more. This newly revised edition, available in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, incorporates new, up-to-date information based on recent discoveries, and includes an updated map of the moon's surface. Thoroughly vetted by an astrophysics expert, The Moon Book is a perfect introduction lunar phases, orbit, the history of space exploration, and more. Using her signature combination of colorful, clear illustrations and accessible text, Gail Gibbons reinforces important vocabulary with simple explanations, perfect for budding astronomers. Legends about the moon, trivia, and facts about the moon landing are also included.
From the author of bestselling Rifleman, this is the final, fascinating part of the trilogy telling the story of one ordinary man’s extraordinary life.
In 'Slaughterhouse-Five', Kurt Vonnegut fictionalised his time as a prisoner of war in Dresden in 1945. Vonnegut was imprisoned in a cellar while the firestorm raged through the city, wiping out generations of innocent lives. Victor Gregg remained above ground throughout the firebombing. This is his true eyewitness account of that week in February 1945.
This collection of prose and poetry takes the reader on a journey through many aspects of life and indeed offers you many ways of seeing. It makes the reader take another look. Ricks Vick's mantra was, "Let the pen do the writing." He had a love of people that manifested itself on every level, from the encouragement of a shy, new poet at one of his workshops to his record-breaking seven appearances as a writer at the prestigious Stroud Short Stories. Sadly Rick died before we finished preparing this collection for publication. He has left us an inspiring legacy.