London's Firefighters

London's Firefighters is a wonderfully readable, lavishly illustrated
anthology of articles, fiction and verse about the London Fire Brigade,
most of it gathered from the Brigade's house magazines London Fireman
(1966-82) and London Firefighter (1982-2005).
The book's editor David C. Pike, himself a retired firefighter, has cleverly
selected material that delivers both a comprehensive history of the
London Fire Brigade and a fascinating portrait of individual firemen
and women, at work and (occasionally) at play. The book includes
vivid, occasionally harrowing articles on important events involving the
Brigade - the Sidney Street Siege of 1911, the London Blitz and the 1981
Brixton riots, to name just a few - as well as covering key figures within
the Brigade like James Braidwood and Massey Shaw. The more personal
sections provide a revealing insight into the bravery, commitment and
camaraderie of ordinary working firefighters and their families.
The numerous, often highly dramatic illustrations, many from the London
Fire Brigade's own collection, offer a lively commentary on the text.
All the profits from this book will go to the Fire Service charity,
Firemen Remembered.
David Pike was a London firefighter for more than 30 years, retiring at
senior rank in 1996. His first book, Beyond the Flames, was published by
Austin Macauley in 2013.
‘A fascinating peek into the world of the London Fire Brigade. A finalist
and highly recommended.'
The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2014/15, on Beyond the Flames

Just Before the Dawn

JUST BEFORE THE DAWN is a ‘snap-shot’ of four former African colonies as they approached independence at the end of the 1950s. It is also a travel book based on the author’s experience and adventures whilst living and working at that time in Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Ruanda-Urundi (as they were then called) and Kenya. The book touches on those countries’ differing histories, both ancient and recent. It also offers the reminiscences of an elderly man pondering his first experiences of the worlds of work, and of love. The book’s leitmotif is dawn, along with its challenges: the coming dawn of change in those four countries, and in the author’s personal life. Additionally, he describes the magnificent dawn he experienced while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, as seen on this cover.Some of the comments on the author’s book on Russia:‘A calm and objective witness for the truth’ – John Le Carré‘It affords twin pleasures of content and style’ – a reader in France‘An excellent book’ – Lord Wright of Richmond, former Head of the Diplomatic Service‘A fascinating account of conflicts and tensions’ – The Church Times‘Extraordinarily observant’ – Andrei Voznesensky, poet

Into the labyrinth: in search of Daidalos

Daidalos was a polymath who foreshadowed Leonardo da Vinci by 3,000 years and was famed as an artist, inventor, scientist and engineer. Despite his many talents and his contributions to the advancement of humanity, his interactions with those he knew resulted in mayhem, and this is what makes his life so fascinating. First of all, he was responsible for the death of three close relatives – his son, his sister and his nephew. Secondly, his actions resulted in the death of King Minos who was a son of Zeus. Thirdly, he was involved in both the creation and destruction of the monstrous bull-human hybrid known as the minotaur. Finally, the lives of two of the most important women of Crete, Queen Pasiphae (the daughter of the sun god, Helios) and her daughter, Ariadne, were devastated by his interventions.  It could be argued that his actions contributed to the downfall of the Minoan civilization and its subjugation by the Mycenaeans. This book is the story of his fascinating life, the times in which he lived and the legacy he has left us.

Insurrection

‘Damn bad place Sheffield,’ said King George Ill, reflecting on the town’s reputation as a hotbed of radicalism with revolutionary tendencies, a reputation it maintained for much of the 19th century, augmented by the numerous times that the Riot Act was read to the Sheffield mob. Yet few Sheffield riots were in the name of revolution. They were more to do with social inequalities, injustice and deprivation, only the Chartists’ rising and connections with the Pentrich rising came close to revolution. The price of provisions, the lack of democracy, oppression and perceived assaults on social norms by new religious movements were the dominant causal factors of social disorder in the Sheffield of the 18th and 19th centuries, the protagonists being coal owners, market traders, magistrates, politicians, the police, the militia, resurrectionists, Wesleyans, Mormons and Salvationists. A personal dispute and an attempted robbery also brought out sections of the Sheffield townsfolk in protest and riot. Some of the events in this book will be familiar to the student of Sheffield’s history; some of the events will amaze them; all of the events detailed in Insurrection will fascinate the general reader.

Imperial India: A Pictorial History

Magnificent palaces, forts and fortresses, victory towers and memorials, among others, are the living symbols of imperial lavishness in India. The book describes and illustrates royal edifices from Agra, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Hyderabad, Lahore, Madras, Poona, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Simla. The physical history of the above architecture is juxtaposed with social history of the time, for example, segregation of the British rulers from their subjects, and habits and customs of the colonial rulers and Indian and Burmese princes. The cultural history of the times is captured by the establishment of Shakespearean theatre, musical comedies and drama in the Indian sub-continent. Transport history is addressed through a discussion and illustration of Indian railways, among the largest transport networks in the world. My private and rare collection of vintage postcards published in Germany and the UK between 1905 and 1910 is the main source of illustrations in the book.

I Found Atlantis

In this book, the author takes readers on a journey back in time to the origins of the Atlanteans. Explore the citadel built by Poseidon and discover the truth behind the myth of Atlantis. Uncover the story of how the Atlanteans were forced to flee rising floodwaters and where they went. Through historical evidence and research, this book aims to prove that Atlantis is not just a myth, but a real and fascinating part of our history.

Dinner with the Founding Fathers

Few Australians have any awareness of how their nation was established on 1 January 1901 when six self-governing British colonies joined together as one nation.

It was achieved after a dozen years of superb negotiations in which Federation conventions drafted and agreed on a splendid constitution which was approved by six colonial parliaments, six referendums in which ordinary Australians had their say, negotiations in London to have the British parliament gave its approval and finally gain the agreement of a difficult Queen Victoria who wanted the six colonies to become counties of England.

Above all, it was achieved without violence, unlike their counterparts in USA.

Everald Compton has now written a vivid account of it all as he creates a dinner held ten years after Federation in which the founding fathers relive the great political and legal battles they fought and the huge parochial attitudes they overcame to create a nation.

It is one of those books which makes you stay awake to turn the
next page.

More importantly, it will get you thinking about the changes that are needed to the Constitution 120 years after Federation to make it relevant to a hugely different and rapidly changing world.

Civilization begins in East Asia

Before the birth of China, Baekje’s ancestors began the Yellow River civilization, the Indus civilization, the Mesopotamian Sumer civilization, and the Aztec and Mayan civilizations in Central America. East Asian cultures and civilizations have spread to every continent of the world. The Chinese people were absorbed into the Korean. A mixture of Korean and Chinese people appeared in Asia for the first time in the time of the Zhou Dynasty.

Charles The Great - Charlemagne

Charlemagne was perhaps one of the most remarkable of the Kings of France. Born on 7 April 742, his astonishing rise to power has long fascinated historians. The founder of the Carolingian dynasty, he united much of Western Europe under his banner.

After he was crowned King of the Franks, he constantly travelled across his lands from Spain to Italy, defending his Realm, but also encouraging education, the building of beautiful public architecture, artwork, and the adoption of Christianity. There was contact with diverse rulers, from the Byzantine empire, the Saracens of Spain, Danish Kings and Kings of Wessex.

He had to deal with treachery from within his own family, and dealt with numerous other factions in his reign, subduing the Lombards, Saxons and Avars, sometimes with magnanimity, and other times with severity. He lived to see five Popes of the Roman Catholic Church, and was finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800.

He, more than anyone else, made the European 'Dark Ages' light.

Bloodstains on the Cocaine Trail

A homicide crisis began sweeping America after massive quantities of cocaine first began their journey into America in 1986. Drugs were trucked along the highways of the Cocaine Trail to every city in America. This influx of a deadly new drug led directly to a series of record deaths from overdoses, suicides and crime-related murders, family breakdowns and destroyed lives. Drugs are credited with driving the highest homicide rates in American history and a raging turf war between street gangs.

Crack cocaine unleashed a brutal era of violence, placing newspapers under enormous pressure to provide coverage. Relations with police were breaking down everywhere and crime coverage was in its death throes. Newspapers could not cover the homicides or give any context or explanations to such a social upheaval. Editors, reporters and police now reveal the shocking truth behind this agonizing episode in American history, when crime reporters had to re-invent journalism to get behind the police blue code. This book combines investigative journalism and narrative style to produce a rare portrait from within the secret inner world of newspapers.

Before and Throughout WW1 and WW2 to the Peacetime of the Present Day

My book consists of true factual events that have occurred over the years, from WW1 and WW2 to the present day.

Many of the people’s war-time experiences that I have written about are quite horrendous. However, for the sake of future generations, fully understanding how terrible war is and the atrocities that were carried out by every nation, they should be made aware that it could happen at any time to them.

Also, the brave men and women who fought in WW1 and WW2 should never be forgotten.

Whatever happens, we should always try to rise above whatever crisis comes our way, otherwise we are a lost cause and civilisation.

– Elisa Wilkinson

A History of London Boroughs Through Beer Goggles (South East Edition)

Discover facts, fiction, trivia and history of some of London’s boroughs that you may not have known before.

All of this done whilst visiting some very interesting pubs and getting some exercise to boot!

Why not read and discover about a reputed spy for Russia, who lived in a quiet suburb unbeknownst to her neighbours for decades after WWII? Or learn about Her Majesty the Queen’s beasts and what they mean? Find out about the Fighting Temeraire and the part it played in the Battle of Trafalgar. And finally, uncover the Great Fires of London, but not the one everyone talks about.

A wealth of factoids which will astound your friends and family and could very well prepare you for some quiz nights!