This social history audiobook vividly describes the everyday activities and concerns of Londoners. Particular areas of interest include customs, food, drink, entertainment, sex, crime and punishment.

The definitive account of the city of London. Anecdotal, brilliant and wonderfully entertaining, Ackroyd's masterpiece is the culmination of a lifelong obsession with the history and topography of London. This audio book explores how London's texture and history actively affects the lives and personalities of its citizens.

This audiobook follows the Thames river from source to sea. It covers history from prehistoric times to the present, the flora and fauna of the river, paintings and photographs inspired by the Thames, its geology, smells and colours, its literature, laws and landscape, its magic and myths, its architecture, trade and weather. We learn about the fish that swim in the river and the boats that ply on its surface, about floods and tides, hauntings and suicides, miasmas and sewers, locks, weirs and embankments.

In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew sailed from England in an attempt to cross the Antarctic. What followed is an amazing survival story enhanced with diary excerpts and explanations of the terrain, wildlife and weather that so affected this fateful voyage.

In 1960, a team set about tracing First World War veterans and interviewing them at length in order to record the experiences of ordinary individuals during wartime. After some 2,500 interviews, their stories, which have rested unheard for almost half a century, are included in this volume.

This audiobook is the first comprehensive oral history of the Second World War, bringing together the vast archive of interviews with soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians of all nationalities from the Imperial War Museum. It includes, among many other accounts, testimonies of survivors evacuated from Dunkirk, airmen who fought the Battle of Britain, and soldiers who stormed the Normandy beaches on D-Day and fought their way through Europe to ultimate victory.

John Aubrey's eccentric portraits of the great figures of 17th-century England rank alongside Pepys's diaries for their vivid evocation of the period. Born in 1626, the son of a Wiltshire squire; at the age of 26 Aubrey inherited a family estate encumbered with debt, and finally went bankrupt in the 1670s. At his death in 1697 he left a mass of notes on the likes of Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh and Thomas Hobbes, which became 'Brief Lives'.

Beginning with the 1905 'Absinthe Murders', this book offers a cultural history of absinthe, from its modest origins as a herbal tonic to its luxuriantly morbid heyday in the late 19th century. The absinthe scrapbook contains such colourful characters as Verlaine, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Strindberg, Alfred Jarry, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Ernest Hemingway and Picasso.

The secret history of the 'South Sea Bubble' and the first great financial scandal. The 'South Sea Bubble' was a scandal of immense proportions - a collision of political ambition, mercenary greed and financial revolution that ensnared the Crown, Parliament and Bank of England in a plot of sheer devilry.

This demystifying and enthusiastic Very Short Introduction to Classics links a haunting temple on a lonely mountainside to the glory of ancient Greece and the grandeur of Rome, and to Classics within modern culture - from Jefferson and Byron to Asterix and Ben-Hur.

Covering six themes, Guy de la Bedoyere looks at the difference and similarities between Britain today with the Romans of 1500 years ago, building upon the Roman ruins in human terms and in so doing answering many questions about their everyday life.

Using devastating new material from former Soviet files and German, American, British, French and Swedish archives, Antony Beevor has reconstructed the story of the nightmare that was the Third Reich's final collapse. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

Stalingrad marked not only the psychological turning-point of the Second World War, but was the first major modern battle fought in a city, with thousands of helpless civilians caught up in its horrors. In the epic struggle between Stalin and Hitler for the eastern front, soldiers were driven beyond the limits of mental and physical endurance. This unforgettable story, written as a narrative, concentrates on the experiences of the soldiers from both sides. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

A portrait of a Suffolk village and its inhabitants during the 1950s, which includes reminiscences from survivors of the Great War to the concerns of a younger generation of farm workers and the personal recollections of the local schoolteacher, doctor, blacksmith, saddler, district nurse and magistrate.

Boswell's biography of his friend and hero Samuel Johnson is an acknowledged classic, full of humorous anecdotes and rich characterisation. Johnson's depression, intellectual brilliance and rough humour is set wthin a vivid portrayal of 18th century London peopled by personalities of the time such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Wilkes, Oliver Goldsmith and David Garrick.

When we think of great events in the history of the world, we tend to think of war, revolution, political upheaval or natural catastrophe. But throughtout history there have been moments of vital importance that have taken place not on the battlefield, but between the pages of a book. Here Melvyn Bragg explores a wide and controversial selection of British books and their huge impact on history.

An entertaining, anecdotal look at the origins of language and ideas in the USA. Bryson explains how two bicycle repairmen from Ohio succeeded in mastering manned flight, why the assassination of President Garfield led to the invention of air conditioning, and many other improbable but true facts.

Jung Chang's powerful and moving memoir documents some of the most tumultuous events of China's history through the eyes of her grandmother and mother - Japanese occupation; the Civil War that carried Mao to power; and her own experiences as a daughter growing up during the Cultural Revolution, during which time teachers, writers and artists were among those vilified by Mao and his Red Guards.

In this classic autobiography, first published in 1930, when Churchill's most testing time still lay ahead, he recalls his childhood, his schooling, his years as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War and his first forays into politics as a member of Parliament. 'My Early Life' not only gives readers insights into the shaping of a great leader but, as Churchill himself wrote, 'a picture of a vanished age'.

A history of Britain by one of its its finest statesmen, a man who had himself crucially shaped events during one of the greatest crisis of modern times. Churchill's resonant prose brings to life the political, constitutional and military landmarks of our history: his purpose, to show that a sense of how man may live decently and democratically grew from the heritage of these islands.

This history of the Second World War is the definitive work. It is remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement. This edition is Churchill's own abridgement of his original six volume history.

This audiobook traces the career of Niccolo Machiavelli, political and military theorist, historian, playwright and diplomat, and discusses his political theories and his influence on political science.

On 15 June 1215, rebel barons forced King John to meet them at Runnymede. They did not trust the king, so he was not allowed to leave until his seal was attached to the charter in front of him. This was Magna Carter, a revolutionary document in what was a momentous year that saw power struggles, innovation and change. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

In 1630s Holland, thousands of people, from wealthy merchants to lowly street traders, were caught up in a frenzy of buying and selling. The object of speculation was neither gold nor oil, but the tulip. Fortunes were made overnight but when the market collapsed the consequences were disastrous.

Intriguing stories of fifty inventions, innovations and discoveries that have transformed gardening techniques, from the ancient world waterscrew to the modern day gro-bag.

'The Calendar' takes us from Caesar and Cleopatra to the US Naval Observatory's automatic net to trace the implausible but entirely true story of our calendar. The audiobook traces the development of our modern-day calendar and describes how people's experiences are shaped by their conception of time.

A series of fascinating biographical portraits of great Native American leaders including Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph.

A portrait of Queen Victoria and the Victorian era. The author reveals the inner contradictions of the resolute, high-minded and cantankerous woman who became queen at the age of eighteen and reigned until her death sixty-four years later in 1901.

Robert Powell narrates the history of over 1000 years of Western classical music, from Gregorian chant to Henryk Gorecki. Many musical expressions and musical forms are explained and illustrated by performances from some of the most highly praised recordings of recent years.

In the early days of April 1941, the 14,000 Australian forces garrisoned in the Libyan town of Tobruk were told to expect reinforcements and supplies within eight weeks. Eight months later they were rescued by the British Navy having held the fort against the might of Rommel's never before defeated Afrika Corps. This audiobook relates the personal histories and stories of the men who defended the garrison.

The story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, one of the most flamboyant women of the 18th century. Georgiana was, in turn, a compulsive gambler, astute political operator, drug addict, adulteress and darling of the common people. Winner of the Whitbread Biography of the Year Award.

This audiobook, with Introduction and Epilogue by His Grace, the 11th Duke of Malborough, is an informative account of the history of Blenheim Palace and the Churchill Family.

Down through the centuries, the castles of Dover, Deal and Walmer have been of prime strategic importance to England, protecting the south-east tip of the country from invasion. This is an account of their national importance and includes fascinating stories of historical characters associated with them, from Henry VIII through to the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

Still a controversial figure - as well as a celebrated one - Marie Antoinette's dramatic life story continues to arouse mixed emotions. Was she a misused heroine? Or would there have been no French Revolution without her? In this comprehensive biography, Antonia Fraser charts the journey made by this ill-fated Queen.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 is one of the most commemorated events in English history, but remains shrouded in mystery. The central aim of this account is to explain why there should have been a plot at all, and why the conspirators risked their lives for what they believed to be the cause of God and their country. Antonia Fraser untangles the intricate relationship between religion and politics in early 17th century England.

In 1936 anthropologist Tom Harrison, poet and journalist Charles Madge and documentary filmmaker Humphrey Jennings set up the 'Mass Observation Project'. The idea was simple: ordinary people would record, in diary form, the events of their everyday lives. Here, four members of the public tell their stories.

Part 1 charts the gradual collapse of Roman rule, from Augustus (23 BC to AD 14) to the first of the Barbarian kings, Odoacer (476-490 AD). Gibbon documents not only their corruption and depravity, but also the great achievements of the emperors. The music includes overtures by Schumann and symphonies by Raff.

Part 2 discusses the Roman Empire's rise to greatness as well as its eventual decline and fall brought about by increasingly dramatic military, economic and social changes.

In the sweltering summer of 1858 the stink of sewage from the polluted Thames was so offensive that it drove Members of Parliament from the chamber of the House of Commons. Sewage generated by a population of over two million Londoners was pouring into the river and was being carried to and fro by the tides. The Times called the crisis 'The Great Stink' and Parliament entrusted great engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette with the daunting task of improving London's primitive system of sanitation and cleaning up the Thames.

The fascinating story of England's history and the public and private lives of the Royal family. Using extracts from diaries and speeches of the English Monarchs, plus observations from their contemporaries, seven actors present the original words and spirit of each era.

The fascinating story of England's history and of the public and private life of her Royal Family is highlighted by extracts from the diaries and speeches of English Monarchs and observations by their contemporaries.

This short biography traces the life of Martin Luther King from his birth in Atlanta, through his ministry in Alabama, his involvement with the Montgomery Improvement Association, and his leading role in the civil rights movement.

The fascinating inside account of how Whitehall, Fleet Street and the broadcasters went to war with each other during the Falklands crisis, leaving the public confused and ill informed.

Stephen Hawking explores the outer reaches of our knowledge of astrophysics and the nature of time and the universe, and reviews the great theories of the cosmos, from Galileo and Newton to Einstein and Poincare.

'The Origins of the First World War' is a concise introduction to one of the major historical controversies. This audiobook surveys the roots of the conflict; assesses the legacy of Bismarck's diplomacy; outlines the assassination crisis; focuses on influences affecting individual countries and examines the historical debate surrounding each of these issues.

Herodotus tells the heroic tale of the Greeks' resistance to the vast invading force assembled by Xerxes, King of Persia.

Horatio Nelson was a national hero who secured a century of maritime supremacy for his country and became the focus of British identity and aspiration. Generous and brave, sometimes vain and occasionally weak, his love for Emma Hamilton and his great naval achievements are explored in this very human portrait.

Horatio Nelson was a national hero who secured a century of maritime supremacy for his country and became the focus of British identity and aspiration. Christopher Hibbert creates a portrait of the man - at once humble yet ambitious, kind but at times irritable, exceptionally lovable and yet often vain and self-pitying, unswerving in his sense of professional duty but unfaithful to his wife in one tremendous love affair. And he evokes, as well, a remarkable sense of what it was to sail the seas in Nelson's day, in peace and war.

Hibbert charts the French Revolution from its beginnings as an impromptu meeting on an indoor tennis court at Versailles in 1789, through to the coup d'etat of 1795 that brought Napoleon to power.

From the first exploratory expeditions into foreign lands, through the heyday of the British Empire to present day, the foreign service has been shaped by the wives of ambassadors and minor civil servants. Accompanying their spouses in the most extraordinary, sometimes terrifying circumstances, they have struggled to bring their civilisation with them. Their stories provide a feast of eccentricity, hardship and heroism.

Selected from over 100 years of archive recording, this collection includes the voices of Asquith, Churchill, Kinnock, Thatcher, Lloyd George, Hague and Attlee. From the only known recording of Gladstone made in 1889 to Michael Howard speaking in 1995, this is a unique collection of political oratory full of rousing declarations and famous phrases.

This audiobook recounts Richard Hillary's experiences as a fighter pilot during the Second World War, in which he was shot down and spent months in hospital, undergoing operations to rebuild his face and hands. It was first published as a book in 1942, seven months before his death in a second crash.

This audiobook tells the stories of the 38 royal coronations of the English monarchs, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II. The early ceremonies of monarchs such as King Edgar and Edward the Confessor are brought to life, and anecdotes include Edward VII being advised by a fortune-teller of the most propitious date to be crowned; and of how head-lice rushed out of the King's hair at the ceremony for Henry IV.

In this study of the Second World War Holmes clarifies the complexities of four of its campaigns: El Alamein, Monte Cassino, Operation Market Garden (of which Arnhem formed a crucial part) and the RAF's bomber offensive against Germany. The book reaffirms his conviction that the sacrifices made by British service personnel are not properly understood. It uses eye-witness accounts to illuminate the horror, confusion and sheer enormity of war, and puts this in the context of the conflict's broader strategy.

This detailed account covers everything from how the front was created, to the battle of Verdun and the last Hundred Days of the war. Of the 947,000 allied soldiers who died during the First World War, 750,000 died on the front. Holmes captures the scale and intensity of the Great War and never lets you forget the human price.

This biography focuses on the personality and achievements of Queen Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn who was known as 'The Virgin Queen'. The extraordinary Elizabeth established a stable government, fought off invasion threats and sowed the seeds of an empire.

The most celebrated Prime Minister of the 20th century and arguably the the most renowned British Prime Minster ever, Winston Churchill is an icon of modern history. But, though he was at the forefront of the political scene for almost sixty years, without the Second World War he might have been remembered as nothing more than a minor player in the dramas of British government. Roy Jenkins analyses Churchill's extraordinary character, illuminating his parliamentary career through the highs and lows of its campaigns, elections and changes of allegiance. Shortlisted for 'The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction.'

This audiobook looks at the military history of a battle scene by examining the experiences of individuals at the point of maximum danger. The author reassesses the three battles of Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme and attempts to convey the reality of the battles as they were experienced by the participants.

Launched in 1939 with a displacement of 50,000 tonnes when fully laden, a top speed of 30 knots and several batteries of heavy guns, the German battleship Bismarck was seen as the most formidable battleship of its time. Sir Ludovic Kennedy, a sub-lieutenant on HMS Tartar during the battle, describes how the sinking of the Bismarck, in the Atlantic Ocean on 27 May 1941 - following an eight-day pursuit - marked a turning point in the war.

Twelve moving speeches that provide an outstanding history of the Civil Rights movement. Some of the world's most renowned leaders and theologians share their reflections on Dr Martin Luther King and his words.

Science and history are blended to tell the story of Galveston in Texas and the hurricane that devastated its people on 8 September, 1900. This audiobook draws from hundreds of personal reminiscences of the terrifying storm as Larson follows individuals through the fateful day and the storm's aftermath.

Not only an epic military history, novelist E.M Forster described T.E. Lawrence's chronicle of his role in leading the Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War as 'an unexampled fabric of portraits, descriptions, philosophies, emotions, adventures, dreams'.

The ninth part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1815 -1837, a time of regency and reform.

This audiobook contains all 5 volumes of 'The Dynasties' series which traces the incredibly influential families which have wielded power behind the scenes for the past 1,000 years. 'The Dynasties' relates how the loyalties of this privileged elite, many of whom are older than the monarchy itself, were tested and rewarded. It also uncovers a multitude of murderous plots, bloody battles, adulteries, intrigues and shocking executions.

The second part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1087 - 1327.

The third part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1327 - 1547, The Black Prince to Henry VIII.

The fourth part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1547 - 1660, Elizabeth I to Cromwell.

The fifth part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1660 - 1702.

The sixth part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to tehe death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1702-1760, covering the reigns of Queen Anne and King George II.

The seventh part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1760 - 1792, a time of revolution.

The eighth part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 1792 - 1815, and explores the lives of Nelson, Wellington and Napoleon.

The tenth part of a major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the Victorian period.

This volume of Christopher Lee's history of Britan looks at the Thatcher years, the Falklands War and the Royal Wedding.

The first part of the major Radio 4 series that tells the history of Britain from the Roman invasion to the death of Queen Victoria. This audiobook focuses on the period 55BC - 1087.

Continuing the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series of the story of Britain, from the start of the twentieth century to the present day - taking us through decades of whirlwind change and technological advancement.

Joshua Levine has delved into the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive to unearth accounts from the men and women who witnessed the battle and the bombs. We hear first hand testimonies from people in the air and on the ground, giving us an account of Britain under siege.

Here are more than sixty eyewitness accounts from history, including descriptions of the Black Death, the Great Fire of London and the death of Nelson. Also included are snapshots of more ordinary life, including working conditions during the Industrial Revolution, Paul Gauguin choosing a bride on Tahiti and the arrest of Dr Crippen.

Eric Lomax was a prisoner of war, forced to work on the Burma-Siam railway in 1943, who was tortured by the Japanese for making a crude radio. Fifty years later he met one of his torturers again, and Lomax's story culminates in their reconciliation.

Martin Jarvis reads his own abridgement of the 1956 account of the sinking of the Titanic. Combining the elements of a thriller and a social record, 'A Night to Remember' records in detail the events of the horrific night in 1912 when the unsinkable liner struck an iceberg in the Atlantic.

In April 1970, NASA sent Commander Jim Lovell and two other astronauts on America's fifth mission to the moon. Only fifty-five hours into the flight, a mysterious explosion rocked the ship and its oxygen and power began draining away. Lovell and his crew watched as the cockpit grew darker, the air grew thinner and the instruments failed one by one. A tale of astonishing courage, improvisation and adventure during one of the worst disasters of space exploration.

In July 1991, nine skeletons were exhumed from a grave in Siberia, a few miles from where the last Tsar of Russia and his family were murdered 73 years before. Were these the Romanovs? This book aims to provide the answer, revealing the guilt and cover-ups by Lenin and describing in detail the efforts of post-Communist Russia to find the bodies and discover the truth.

Drawing upon the vast resources of the Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive, this audiobook presents the first complete oral history of The Falklands War. It is a unique and essential chronicle from all sides and perspectives, told in the participants' own voices.

An enthralling history of the exploration of the Nile, starting with James Bruce, whose descriptions of Ethiopian life in the 18th century were dismissed by his contemporaries as fantasy. The vivid detail and remarkable events prove that fact can be more exciting than fiction.

A lively history of the Victorian search for the source of the Nile which includes the extraordinary tales of intrepid travellers Richard Burton and John Speke, not to mention the famous meeting of Livingstone and Stanley. 'The White Nile' includes vivid descriptions of Zanzibar, the last days of Khartoum and the building of the Suez Canal.

The story of William Tyndale's work as a Protestant reformer and as a translator of the Bible into English. Whilst Tyndale's was not the first English translation, it was the first to be printed, albeit in Europe where he was an exile from England. This audiobook covers Tyndale's exile, betrayal and eventual death at the stake, as well as the part Sir Thomas More played in his life during this bloody period of English history.

The story of Lord Nelson's life is told through his personal letters and journals, which provide the listener with a detailed account of his audacious exploits.

Commissioned by the Left Book club in 1936, George Orwell set out to report on working class life in the bleak industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire. The experience profoundly changed him, and in 'The Road to Wigan Pier' he unleashed a brilliant and bitter polemic that has not lost its force with the passage of time.

What is it about the English? Not the British, Scots, Irish or Welsh, but the English? Why do they seem so unsure of who they are? As Jeremy Paxman remarks, being English used to be so easy. Now, with the Empire gone, with devolution, with an ever closer Europe, the English seem to have entered a collective crisis of national identity.

What is it about the business of politics which turns hope, vision and ambition to despair? Jeremy Paxman proposes to find out. Among the things this book examines are: how politicians are chosen; the promises and compromises they must make to get on; how the party machines control them or fail to do so; how to win elections; how to fake sincerity; the terror of power; riding the civil service; what the cabinet is really like; and why democracy - the least bad form of government we can imagine - is destined always to disappoint.

Queen Elizabeth II has guided the concept of monarchy through difficult times, both national and personal. This is an informative account of the years of her reign.

One of the most notorious maritime disasters of the 19th Century, which inspired Herman Melville's classic novel 'Moby Dick', involved the sinking of the whaleship Essex by an enraged spermwhale in the Pacific in November 1820.

The story of the longest inhabited bridge in Europe. For over 600 years Old London Bridge pulsated with life, the scene of commerce and battle, romance and ceremony. In this narrative the author brings to life each stage of its history from bloody Viking attacks and violent rebellion to royal pageants.

'The Trial' and 'The Death of Socrates' remain powerful documents not least because they give a first-hand account of the end of one of the greatest figures in history. In 'Apology' Socrates defends himself before the Athenian court against charges of corrupting youth, and 'Phaedo' is a young man's account of the actual last moments and words of Socrates. Includes introductions to the scenes and the history behind them.

This text, using contemporary memoirs, letters, newspapers and regimental order books, reconstructs the common man's version of the Moorland Battle and the repression and brutality that followed it for the highlanders. It challenges the rose-tinted legend of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Culloden.

This text, using contemporary memoirs, letters, newspapers and regimental order books, reconstructs the common man's version of the Moorland Battle and the repression and brutality that followed it for the highlanders. It challenges the rose-tinted legend of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Culloden.

In 1519, Hernando Cortes arrived in Mexico to investigate stories of a wealthy empire. What he encountered was beyond his wildest dreams - an advanced civilisation with complex artistic, political and religious systems and replete with gold. This was the Aztec empire, headed by the aloof emperor Montezuma. With just a handful of men, Cortes brutally crushed the Aztecs and their allies, annexing the whole territory for Spain.

The Queen's journals cover the period 1848-1882 and provide a fascinating insight into those long and 'never to be forgotten days' she spent with her family in her much beloved Scottish Highlands.

In July 1789, 237 female convicts left England for Botany Bay in Australia on board a ship called 'The Lady Julian', destined for the men already there. This is the story of the women and their voyage. Based on painstaking research into contemporary sources such as letters, trial records and the first-hand account of the voyage written by the ship's steward, John Nicol, 'The Floating Brothel' conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of life on board ship at the time and is populated by a cast of larger-than-life characters. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

The dreaded POW camp Colditz was supposed to be impregnable - the German fortress from which there was no escape. This is the story of the incredible courage and ingenuity of those who refused to admit defeat, who burrowed, leapt and ran their way to freedom; the story of the finest escapers of the Second World War, which culminates with the author's own dramatic escape in 1942.

'The Military Gazette' is a fascinating foray into British military history in the company of chroniclers, diarists and letter-writers, who illuminate the life of the armed forces.

'The Military Gazette' sails through some of the most turbulent and colourful events of British maritime history in the company of chroniclers, diarists and letter-writers.

'The Sporting Gazette' is a rousing gallop through the British Sporting Calendar of the last four hundred years in the company of chroniclers, diarists and letter-writers, as we eavesdrop on some of the most memorable and fascinating events in the colourful history of British sport.

'The Travellers' Gazette' is a fascinating ramble through the towns and villages of the British Isles during the last 400 years with contributions from Jane Austen, William Cobbett, Daniel Defoe, Sir Walter Scott and Virginia Woolf.

An abridged but vivid account of 4000 years of British history from the very beginnings of our nation's identity when the first settlers landed on Orkney.

The British Wars began in 1637, starting nearly 200 hundred years of battles waged within and outside our Isles. This audiobook vividly depicts exactly what life was like for our ancestors and how their experiences have shaped modern British culture and identity.

This audiobook is the astonishing story of the struggle to freedom by thousands of African-American slaves who fled the plantations to fight behind British lines in the American War of Independence. With gripping, powerfully vivid story-telling, Simon Schama follows the escaped blacks into the fires of the war, and into freezing, inhospitable Nova Scotia where many who had served the Crown were betrayed in their promises to receive land at the war's end. Their fate became entwined with British abolitionists: inspirational figures such as Granville Sharp, the flute-playing father-figure of slave freedom, and John Clarkson, the 'Moses' of this great exodus, who accompanied the blacks on their final rough crossing to Africa, where they hoped that freedom would finally greet them.

John Sergeant's long career as a political journalist has been inextricably linked with Margaret Thatcher. This audiobook is John Sergeant's mordant analysis of Thatcher's life and career, bringing to bear his trademark wit and keen sense of the absurd but also his deep understanding of the British political arena and an insight born of thirty years reporting on events in Westminster. His access to those who worked for her, with her and against her is unique and this audiobook offers both a fresh appraisal of a woman who changed British politics for ever and a powerful account of her legacy and her political heirs, be they new Labour or Iain Duncan Smith.

Gregory Rasputin is often seen as a destructive force, yet his reputation as a healer took him to the Russian court and his effect on the haemophilia of the Czar's son, Alexei, made him indispensable. However, his unorthodox religious teachings and shady financial dealings soon made him a significant political threat.

Hear the powerful oral history of those who fell victim to the Nazi regime: over six million European Jews, as well as many Communists, Poles, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals and much of the Sinti Roma (Gypsy) population. This audiobook has over 30 contributors, from those living in hiding, to family and friends who realised relatives being 'sent east' were in fact sent to death camps.

Anyone alive in the 18th century would have known that 'the longitude problem' was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day - and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. As the scientific establishment throughout Europe struggled, from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton, English genius John Harrison discovered a mechanical solution to the problem of calculating longitude. This story of an epic scientific quest also provides a brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.

Anyone alive in the 18th century would have known that 'the longitude problem' was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day - and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. As the scientific establishment throughout Europe struggled, from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton, English genius John Harrison discovered a mechanical solution to the problem of calculating longitude. This story of an epic scientific quest also provides a brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.

An intriguing look at the relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Despite their apparent friendship this audio book reveals how each leader jealously guarded knowledge from the other in pursuit of separate national interests.

Confident of her destiny to reign and intensely intelligent, Elizabeth I was to become England's most successful ruler. Finding her way through labrynthine plots that surrounded the court, 'the Virgin Queen' had to live by her wits, surrounded by betrayal and suspicion. This biography was published to accompany a Channel Four TV series presented by the author.

The first volume of Margaret Thatcher's memoirs include her election as Prime Minister, the formation of her goals in the early 1980s, the Falklands War, the General Election victories of 1983 and 1987 and, eventually, the circumstances of her fall from political power. She also gives frank accounts of her dealings with foreign statesmen and her her own ministers.

The story of the four Lennox sisters - Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah - and their turbulent lives, which spanned the Georgian period of history. Great-granddaughters of Charles II, they were connected by birth and marriage to the rich and powerful of their time. Caroline eloped with a politician; Emily had nineteen children; Louisa married the richest man in Ireland and Sarah married a baronet. This is a fascinating insight into the lives of 18th century women.

Samuel Pepys kept a diary in which he wrote with astonishing candour about the life he saw around him in London in the 1660s, and about his desires and ambitions. The diary was kept for fewer than ten years of his long life: Claire Tomalin tells the full story of the Fleet Street tailor's son who made himself rich and powerful, an MP and advisor to royalty. She also traces his relationships with many women, from countesses to servant girls, in a biography that is as funny, moving and candid as Pepys himself. Winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year.

At midnight on 15 August 1947, India left the British Empire. This defining moment of world history had been brought about by a handful of people: Jawaharlal Nehru, the fiery Indian prime minister, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the new nation of Pakistan, Mohandas Gandhi, the mystical figure who enthralled a nation, and Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, despatched to get Britain out of India. Within hours of the midnight chimes, their dreams of freedom and democracy would turn to chaos, bloodshed and war. Behind the scenes a secret personal drama was unfolding, as Edwina Mountbatten and Nehru began a passionate love affair.

In 1802, Madame Tussaud went to London, and as a result of the Franco-English war, was unable to return to France, so with her collection of wax figures she travelled throughout Great Britain and Ireland. She established her first permanent exhibition on Baker Street in 1835 which was to become the 'Madame Tussaud's' we still enjoy today. This is the story of her colourful life, as told to her sons.

The events of the infamous trial unfold though the original trial transcripts, eyewitness accounts and contemporary newspaper reports. The shocking truth of the tragic events that took place behind the doors of 10 Rillington Place was to horrify the nation.

A compilation of some of the most well-known speeches of modern times, spanning the years 1940-1987. The speeches include Winston Churchill's first radio address as Prime Minister, John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 'Declaration of War'.

From Socrates to Charles I, Dante to Lincoln, here are some of history's most significant figures with their most important speeches.

Follow in the footsteps of British travellers as they explore the far flung shores of the world. Compiled from the writings of the finest chroniclers, diarists and letter-writers such as Charles Darwin and Sir Ernest Shackleton, travellers witness the murder of Captain Cook, travel on the first commercial flight from Paris to London and become shipwrecked...

This unique collection features original recordings from 1908-1947, and includes Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Address, the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes, the rarely heard humour of Charley Case and readings from 'God's Trombones' by James Weldon Johnson.

In the summer of 1910, a race began to be the first man to reach the South Pole in Antarctica. Robert Falcon Scott, an Englishman, left London in his ship, the 'Terra Nova', and began the long journey south. Five days later, another ship began to travel south. On board was Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian. This is the story of their long, hard journey over the ice to the South Pole, a race from which some of the travellers never returned.

A fresh and provocative biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most controversial personalities of the Middle Ages. Married in turn to Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, she was mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John. She lived to be 82 and, in an age when women were treated as mere chattels, became virtual ruler of England.

A detailed study that sets Henry's personal story against the cultural, social and political background of his court. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE OF THE PERIOD.

'God's Funeral' is A.N. Wilson's account of the decline of orthodox Christianity in Victorian Britain, the most popular explanation for this being the acceptance by intellectual