Solo2Darwin


Book Description

Inspired by past aviation pioneers, Amanda Harrison flew her vintage Tiger Moth from Biggin Hill to Darwin, Australia in 20 days, overcoming weather challenges, engine failures, and dangerous terrains all while recovering from cancer. Whilst learning to fly, Amanda Harrison discovered a beautiful vintage Tiger Moth. After researching the amazing pioneers who flew this fragile aircraft, a spark was ignited, and Amanda dreamed of emulating their adventures. On 11th May 2019, she made that dream a reality, taking off from Biggin Hill with the aim of flying to Darwin, Australia in 20 days – just as her idol Amy Johnson had done in 1930. Solo2Darwin documents one woman’s exhilarating journey across the world. Indeed, the launch of her biplane, ‘Solo2Darwin’, received extensive press coverage including print features in The Times and The Telegraph and TV footage broadcasted on ITV and Channel 5 News respectively. Faced with adversity, navigating through torturous mountain ranges covered in cloud, across seas, dodging thunderstorms and surviving engine failures, Amanda’s route had plenty of highs, lows and drama. Alongside this she also experienced the difficulties of solo-flying a biplane and having to navigate dangerous regions across the world. What makes Amanda’s expedition even more remarkable is that this was all undertaken whilst recovering from cancer. So strap in and prepare to go on a journey of a lifetime. Twelve countries, 2,600 miles, 46 flying hours, two engine failures, one airplane, one female pilot, all equals one amazing adventure!




Gentlemen and Tarpaulins


Book Description

This is the first scholarly study of the Royal Navy during the reigns of Charles II and James II. Historians have long viewed the Restoration Navy through the eyes of Samuel Pepys, the greatest diarist and naval administrator of the age. Perceptive and intelligent as Pepys was, he presentedonly a one-sided view of the Navy, that of a bureaucrat attempting to reorganize it. J. D. Davies assesses this traditional picture of the Restoration Navy in the light of recent scholarship, using the evidence not only of Pepys but of his contemporaries. He examines the reactions of naval personnel to the demands imposed by Pepys, and analyses the structure of the service. Healso explores the lives and attitudes of the men (the `tarpaulins') and their officers - the quests for promotion, enrichment, and glory; the very different problems posed by peace and war; the nature of life at sea; and the role of the Navy in national life. Gentlemen and Tarpaulins provides afascinating glimpse into the history of the Royal Navy.




Bismarck


Book Description

With extensive eyewitness accounts, the author of Killing the Bismarck vividly reconstructs the day British soldiers sank the infamous Nazi battleship. May 26, 1941. After a desperate chase lasting three days and more than seventeen hundred miles, Britain’s Home Fleet would finally close in on the world’s most powerful battleship, the very ship that sank the Royal Navy’s battlecruiser HMS Hood. The German battleship Bismarck was literally in a class by itself, being one of two newly-designed Bismarck-class ships in the German fleet. But it would soon face, and ultimately lose, a brutal fight to the finish involving more than five thousand men of the Royal Navy and twenty-six thousand men of Hitler’s Kriegsmarine. Historian Iain Ballantyne spent years conducting interviews with surviving veterans who had been present on that fateful day. Published here for the first time, alongside a compelling narrative of the final twenty-four hours of the mission to sink the Bismarck, are transcripts of those interviews, offering the unique eyewitness accounts of Royal Navy sailors who participated in one of the most significant sea battles of World War II.




Twilight of the Gods


Book Description

The Who were at their peak in the 1970s. Few other bands in the world could touch them. But time was running out for the classic line-up and by 1979 drummer Keith Moon was dead of a prescription drug overdose. The documentary film The Kids Are Alright captured the band in their glory and producer Tony Klinger followed them in their last days of that amazing first line-up and recorded every moment in his dairy. Now he tells the dramatic story of The Twilight of the Gods. Directed by fan Jeff Stein, the movie showed the band as they had never been seen before, uncovering archive footage and live performances that many had thought lost. The band also played exclusively for the movie, but Keith Moon didn’t even live to see the completion of the project. Tony Klinger recounts the gripping story of filming the last ever concert the band played with Moon, plus the realities of making a firm with the most unpredictable and incendiary live act on the planet. The Who redefined rock music and have continued to inspire their fans right up to the present day. Yet these last, dramatic days with Keith Moon remain a fascinating focus to understand exactly what made the band so powerful and Tony Klinger was there for each incredible shot.




Under God's Table


Book Description

Two boyhood friends, an Arab and a Jew from Iraq grow up to become deadly enemies living, loving and fighting across the globe.




Navegator


Book Description

Vasco Valseca is a scientific genius who has created Navegator, a unique software program that can pinpoint the exact geographical location of any internet activity - email, virus or hacking. But Valseca is unaware that his precious invention is the focus of furious international activity.




Confessions of a Phantom Pilot


Book Description

‘The Confessions of a Phantom Pilot’ is the true story of a young RAF pilot who gets his dream to fly the old dirty workhorse fighter of the Cold War. From the first flight where he thought the jet was trying to kill him, through to his final trip of leading eight aeroplanes on a front line fighter squadron, you will relive his thoughts, feelings and anxieties as he stumbles his way through each flight relying on a bit of skill and a lot of blind luck. In essence, it is a love letter to the Phantom from a star-struck boy who felt like he was way out of his depth at the beginning of their affair. You will share stories of the outrageous drinking culture that was a major part of Cold War front-line operations, and marvel at how he didn’t do himself some serious damage either in or out of the cockpit. This is how it feels to be a front-line fighter pilot – the triumphs and the disasters are all laid out here in a completely open and honest way as the author looks back with a certain sense of nostalgia and mild embarrassment. What a blast though!




Chefs at Home


Book Description

54 chefs share their lockdown recipes to help the hospitality industry. Throughout 2020 and into 2021, unprecedented country-wide lockdowns have forced restaurants, cafes and bars across the UK to close their doors and turn off the lights. As Covid-19 has devastatingly swept through the country, we have all faced long queues at supermarkets and limited ingredients on the shelves forcing us to dig into the back of our cupboards for those emergency tins and our favourite chefs were no exception. Within these pages, 54 leading chefs from around the country including Tom Kerridge, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and many more, have contributed two recipes they created during lockdown to help support a beloved and struggling industry. 100% of royalties from the sale of this book will go to Hospitality Action to help offer vital support to all who work within the hospitality industry in the UK. With over 100 recipes, from brunch to bakes and from veggie delights to meat feasts, recipes include- Tom Kerridge's fish finger sandwich (with added monster munch) Heston Blumenthal's ratatouille Michel Roux Jr's Lyonnaise onion soup Andrew Wong's Singapore noodles Selin Kiazim's halloumi and olive loaf Nathan Outlaw's ultimate fish and chips Richard Corrigan's fish pie Jamie Oliver's cornershop curry sauce with chicken Tommy Banks' glazed brisket with macaroni cheese Thomasina Miers' steak tacos Calum Franklin's ultimate piesolation pie Simon Rimmer's vegan banana toffee pudding Angela Hartnett's mum's apple tart Gordon Ramsay's lockdown banana bread - and many more This isn't a regular cookbook. Instead, it's a cookbook dedicated to every chef, waiter, housekeeper and manager. Every concierge, receptionist and kitchen porter. Every sommelier, bartender, catering assistant and cook across the UK. Because this industry doesn't just feed us, they bring us together too, and this cookbook is our way of saying thank you until we can get back through their doors again. A minimum of eE2 of every copy sold will go directly to Hospitality Action.




Fighters of the Iron Cross


Book Description

A new book by Jerry Crandall - Fighters of the Iron Cross, Men and Machines of the Jagdwaffe.Presented will be short biographies and combat stories about their fighter experiences in the Luftwaffe of the pilots based on personal interviews conducted by Jerry and Judy over the past 45 years. Many more pilots are featured including most of those who signed the signatorie page.Numerous photos from their private collections, many never before published, documents and full color profiles complete the book.Numerous photos from their private collections, many never before published, documents and full color profiles complete the book.




Canberra Boys


Book Description

The English Electric Canberra first came into production in the late 1940s and has since played a hugely significant part in world events. In Canberra Boys, Andrew Brookes takes us through its rich history with the help of those who operated this magnificent machine. Contributors include Roly 'Bee' Beamont, the English Electric test pilot who first flew the aircraft in 1949. As part of the expansion of the RAF's Bomber Command in the 1950s, RAF Binbrook was the first station to house four Canberra squadrons, starting with 101 Squadron in May 1951. Since then and throughout the 20th century, the Canberra operated across the globe in Europe, South America and South East Asia. It has served an array of air forces such as the USAF, Australian air force and the Indian air force - the third largest operator of the Canberra after the RAF and USAF. This led to the Canberra playing a crucial role as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft in phenomenal operations like the Suez Campaign, the nuclear tests of Operation Grapple and the Indonesian Confrontation. Other tales in the book include participation in the Sassoon Trophy competition, long-distance flights in Exercise Round Trip, and Operation Quick Flight. Concluding with the Canberra PR9's final RAF flight on 39 Squadron in July 2006, this book provides a detailed and fascinating history of an outstanding aircraft alongside illuminating anecdotes from the men who served with it.