Publisher: Leo Cooper
The story of the wreck of the British merchant brig Isabella on the Falkland Islands in 1812, the rescue of whose passengers was complicated by the outbreak of war between Britain and the United States, telling of the adventures which befell citizens of both countries before the passengers were restored to their native shore.
Margaret Kennedy was an acclaimed novelist and playwright best-known for The Constant Nymph. In this autobiographical account, taken from her war diaries, she conveys the tension, frustration, and bewilderment of the progression of the war, and the terror of knowing that the worst is to come, but not yet knowing what the worst will be.English bravery, confusion, stubbornness, and dark humor provide the positive, more hopeful side of her experiences, in which she and her children move from Surrey to Cornwall, to sit out the war amidst a quietly efficient Home Guard and the most scandalous rumors."Most people knew in their hearts that the lid had been taken off hell, and that what had been done in Guernica would one day be done in London, Paris and Berlin." Margaret Kennedy's prophetic words, written about the pre-war mood in Europe, give the tone of this riveting 1941 wartime memoir: it is Mrs. Miniver with the gloves off.Where Stands A Wingèd Sentry, the title comes from a seventeenth-century poem by Henry Vaughan, was only published in the USA in 1942, and was never published in the UK, until now.Show book
It's not part of Cancun that tourists travel to see: heavily armed police working to stop a soaring homicide rate. The fallout of Mexico's campaign targeting drug cartel leaders is spilling onto the periphery of the famous beach destination, where fractured gangs fight for control. Yet the area's violence has rarely put vacationers in danger. Special correspondent Danny Gold reports.Show book
1975: A young Irish-American man joins an elite US Marine unit to get the most intensive military training possible—then joins the Irish Republican Army, during the days of some of the bloodiest fighting ever in the Irish-British conflict.In a powerful, brutally honest recounting of his experience, John Crawley details, first, the grueling challenges of his Marine Corps training, then how he put his hard-earned skills to use back in Ireland in service of the Provos. It is a story that will see him running guns with notorious American mobster—and secret IRA fundraiser—Whitey Bulger; running, under cover of night, from safe house to safe house in the Irish countryside, one step ahead of British troops; being captured, imprisoned, and being part of a mass escape attempt; fending off a recruitment offer from the CIA; and being one of the masterminds behind a campaign to take out London's electrical system. Along the way, Crawley is blisteringly candid about the memorable people he worked with, including behind-the-scenes portrayals of revered IRA leader Martin McGuinness, and of the psychopathic Whitey Bulger, as well as others in the Boston IRA support network. There are vivid portraits of colleagues and enemies, and Crawley is unflinching in his commentary on IRA leadership and their tactics, both military and political.Show book
Explore the captivating contradictions of one of U.S. history’s most divisive figures with the celebrated West Point professor and author of Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson’s Image in His Own Time.Thomas Jefferson was the first secretary of state, second vice president, and third president of the United States. A polymath who championed education and religious freedom, he drafted the Declaration of Independence and made more attempts than any other officeholder of his generation to end slavery. Yet he remained a slaveholder throughout his life. A diplomat who charmed people abroad, at home he was a lightning rod of controversy—both loved and hated, revered and reviled.Join West Point history professor Robert McDonald as he tells the story of the life of one of history’s most fascinating men. In 15 energetic lectures, McDonald—a noted expert on Jefferson, the American Revolution, and the Early Republic—seeks to explain Jefferson as a man of his times. The results will by turns surprise, delight, and confound you, challenging what you think you know about the third president’s life and era.This course is part of the Learn25 collection.Show book
The man, the music, the mythology - everyone knows Elvis, right? From the swinging hips and tempestuous love life to the peanut butter and banana sandwiches. But how do the iconic snapshots and the snippets of rumour match up with the truth about the man behind the legend? Michael Freedland's Elvis Memories sets out to answer precisely that question - and succeeds in grand style, giving us a rare and privileged glimpse into the intimate recollections of the people who really knew him. On a journey that spans the United States, Freedland introduces us to Presley's friends, family and followers, taking in the kids who competed against him in childhood talent shows, the members of the 'Memphis Mafia' who went everywhere with him and the maid who prepared those infamous sandwiches and watched him line up the girls he wanted to take to his bed. Thirty-five years after the death of the man we still call 'The King', Elvis Memories offers a unique chance to see the real Elvis Presley through the eyes of those who shared his life.Show book
Are you the world's biggest Blink-182 fan? Do you know everything there is to know about pop-punk's greatest band? Or are you new to the scene and want to become an instant expert on the band everyone is talking about? Then this is the audiobook for you. Contained within are 101 amazing facts covering everything from the band’s early days through the more difficult times (including the infamous plane crash) right up to their 2016 comeback – although WE all know they never really went away! Amaze yourself and your friends with these handily-packaged facts which are easily organised into relevant categories for maximum enjoyment.Show book
