United Kingdom Books

This book recounts the role of Polish pilots in the Allied war effort. It discusses how the Poles accounted for a disproportionate share of German planes downed over England. It also discusses the personal lives of the pilots, including the homesickness felt every Christmas. The all-but-forgotten sufferings of the Poles under both German Nazis and Soviet Communists is recounted in some detail. There is discussion of the heartbreak and outrage experienced by the pilots once they learned that the western Allies betrayed Poland to Soviet control after the war, ruling out a return home for most of the pilots. The postwar lives of some of the pilots are also recounted. The ingratitude of the British shown in politics was duplicated by much of the civilian population soon after the war. The short memory of the British, who forgot that Poles were fighting for the very survival of Britain a few short years earlier, were now clamoring for the Poles to go home. Other details are also provided. There is even mention of a Polish pilot, decades after the war, locating, in Bavaria, the German pilot he had shot down back in September 1939.

This is an excellent book about an ignored group of heroes from the Battle of Briton. It is well written and documented. It gives a gripping and true account of the gallant Polish airmen who helped save England from Nazism. It also sadly shows how they were mistreated after the war. I would highly recommend this book for anybody studying World War II history and / or Polish history. It is rich with details but not boring. I could not put this book down and began reading large segments to my wife. She previously had minimal interest in history and found the book very facinating!

When I was growing up, I never was able to read much about Poland's role in WW2, except that it was conquered in less than a month by the German army. The only documentary I saw on the subject was Frank Capra's "The Nazis Strike", part 2 of his famous "Why We Fight" series on the war. Unfortunately, the documentary gets the facts completely wrong concerning the Polish Air Force. Believing the German propaganda version of the invasion of Poland, it claimed the Polish Air Force was caught on the ground and quickly wiped out by the German Luftwaffe.

It is true that many airfields were damaged and many planes were destroyed on the ground, but those planes were either training or sporting planes. The Polish Air Force were equipped with old-fashioned fighter planes and each fighter had only two machine-guns, compared with four machine-guns and two cannon on the Me-109. Even the German bombers were faster than the polish fighter planes, but many were still brought down in daring ariel attacks.

During the German invasion of Poland, the Polish pilots had to suffer many hardships. There was virtually no coordination with Polish army forces, and indeed quite a few Polish planes were mistakenly shot down by Polish troops! Also, as the Polish army retreated, the lack of gasoline as well as suitable airfields became a big problem for the brave airmen who were trying desperately to save their country.

After the surrender of Poland, much of the air force (without their planes, though) found their way to France where they continued the fight against Hitler's Third Reich. But France was quickly captured by the bold "Blitzkrieg" tactics of the German army, and so the Polish Air Force left for England. It was in England where the Polish Air Force became legendary, making a huge contribution to the British victory against the Luftwaffe. There were even movies made about Polish airmen, but their popularity in England was eventually poisoned by Stalin and the Soviet Union, who weren't about to help Poland win back its country.

Although the Polish army and air force constantly made big contributions to the Allied effort, Poland was betrayed by the Allies following the end of WW2. Many refused to return to their once beloved country that was now controlled by a communist dictator in Russia. This is a tragic, compelling, and very important story from WW2 that all history buffs should read. For the very best on the Polish Air Force, you can't do better than Jerzy B. Cynk's massive 2-volume official history of the Polish Air Force, packed with hundreds of photos. As an introduction to the subject, this awesome book is highly recommended.

This book beside being interesting and intelligently written is unique in showing the "reverse of the coin". It is the book which shows the reality of the (sometimes mundane) life endured during II world war by people described in it. It was refreshing to read it. After reading many historical books I was almost always left with feeling that something was missing. Of ourse yes, the ordinary every day life was omitted in those books, but not in this one. I am looking forward to the next book of this author !

This book is for you if you want to learn little-known facts about World War II, as well as the under-rated and often minimized contributions of Poland to the Allied war effort. This book is NOT for you if you are content to wallow in false stereotypes of Poles charging German tanks with lances.

Man i need it this for like My Whole Life. It teaches you good fundamental stuff to succed in your study life. Good examples and easy to understand.

I learned most of these lessons the hard way.... years and years of studying the wrong way. Save yourself time and a GPA and take a look.

love this book, and highly recommend it for anyone...received my order super-fast on regular delivery.

great! if you need help w/ studying this book is the way to go.

I read this book many years ago (maybe it was the first or second edition) and it changed my style of studying forever. I was failing my pre-med courses when I found this book. I ended up getting A's in organic chemistry and applied calculus. This book should be required reading before undertaking any serious scholastic endeavor. This is the only book that doesn't disguise the effort that is required in learning - no magic tricks nor skills that only "special" students have - the ability is in all of us and Ron Fry shows you how.

Very informative. Breaks down into an easy to understand timeline and also by the Royal Houses.

. Informative book which is easy for all ages to follow wether reading it themselves or being read to. My children used it for projects and i myself took it into school to show children the system the English have as many think the Queen is voted in. I also enjoyed this book as i enjoy my country's history.

My bible of Royal British successions for almost 20 years, I keep it at my elbow for constant reference. A wonderful thumbnail sketch of each King and Queen, as well as a snapshot of the times in which they lived and the causes of their sucesseses and failures. Great reading--beautifully illustrated.

I bought this book many years ago, and I still pick it up at least once a month. The book gives you the most important information of every king and queen who has ever ruled England or Scotland.

As I turn the pages, I can see that there is something interesting about every regent, and by the way; this book makes you realize that royal scandals are not a new invention.

I read this book cover to cover just prior to my trip to England (along with Antonia Fraser's "The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England"). This was a fun and easy read with nice pitcures. It is nice for anyone looking for a brief overview about the English Monarchy and also for anyone who just wants to have a handy reference.

As a London Underground enthusiast, I just couldn't resist what this book had to offer. The sections on the history of the Underground were very informative and easy to read.
But there's more to the book than that. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. The author's conversational (and often amusing) tone lend a lightness to a subject that could otherwise be very dull. The book runs the gamut of subjects--from the underground and now mostly mysterious Fleet to the high-speed cables of British Telecom. It's all there.
This book is an excellent resource for anyone doing research, and a great read if you're fascinated by things beneath the surface.

This is a fantastic history of what's underneath the ground of today's London. Blending history, geography, and engineering, this book describes the smothered streams and covered rivers, the water pipes and sewers, and the tunnels under the Thames.

A major section is devoted to the London Underground - the "Tube" - and its history. The Post Office's automated mail-handling railway is briefly touched on as well.

The role of London's underground spaces during wartime is reviewed including the underground factories and the Cabinet War Rooms of the Second World War.

The book is profusely illustrated with a heavy emphasis on contemporary cut-away and explanatory drawings. The pictures make the text come alive.

A really great book for the Anglophile or London-buff.

Having spent some time in London, and being a card-carrying historian, I was already aware of the hidden Fleet River, and the government bunkers from World War II, and (of course) the Underground itself. But I'd never heard of the Little Conduit beside St. Paul's, or the pneumatic postal railway, and the 1,500-mile network of 19th-century sewers (on which the metropolitan area still depends) never entered my mind. And I don't know how safe the pedestrian tunnels under the Thames would be these days, in any case. But the authors have done an amazing job tracing a number of "lost" rivers, and scores of independent water company pipelines, and assorted arsenals and crypts and tramways. And now I have a list for my next visit to London!

It's a great book if you're interested in this sort of thing. From the early beginnings of London's sewers to the modern day tube and postal networks, this book covers it all in a remarkably easy to read fashion. Of particular interest to me were the sections on Londons 'lost' rivers as well as the Underground, both covered in this book. Highly recommended.

Except for Anglophiles and London Buffs most people's knowledge of the London Underground is limited to its use as a bomb shelter during the World War II Blitz. However, the Underground existed for centuries before WWII. Chapter 1 succinctly narrates the Underground during the Blitz, and concludes stating "....to understand the full complexity of what lies under London, we must begin with her subterranean rivers."

Chapter 2 notes "There are over a hundred miles of rivers in London, fed by over a hundred springs and wells....Hidden from view, recalled only in street names...." As early as 1463 a Royal Act ordered "The covering-in of the Walbook's middle and lower reaches" vaulting and paving it over. These rivers were covered over or diverted into tunnels. Many of the rivers underground became more sewers than rivers. The text also notes "There are several lost rivers under London referred to by London's chroniclers but impossible to trace."

The text devotes several chapters to the development of underground sewers, water systems, gas pipes, trains, and later telegraph, telephone and electricity systems. The text gives captivating accounts of several engineering problems that were confronted, how they were resolved together with thumbnail sketches of the engineers and managers involved. . Tunneling under the Thames River was a major venture taking fifteen years to complete. Most intriguing is the account of The London Hydraulic Power Company founded in 1871where "Raw water (untreated) water was pumped at a pressure of 400 pounds per square inch through the miles of pipes running beneath London, and was used to raise and lower cranes, operated lifts.... theatre safety curtains, wagon hoists, even hat hat-blocking presses...." Amazingly the company survived until the mid-1970s.

As telegraph lines were developed underground, the Post Office gained control of the telegraph system and later gained control of the telephone system which they tried to suppress. As electricity developed around a national grid, distribution moved underground and by WWII was operating as a national industry. After the dropping of the first atomic bomb, the British government considered operating from the underground but by the 1960s gave up plans to fighting and surviving a nuclear war from under London. The text notes that new water and electricity tunnels characterized the 1980s and early 1990s with "The biggest capital project under London in the last ten years has been the completion of the London Ring Water Main"

This is a fascinating book and the reader will be amazed by the extensive underground systems under London that are still in use today.

This book was most enjoyable--An historical and literary voyage through history until it capsizes--here, at our feet and on our shores on the California-Mendocino Coast.

WOW what fun, work and incredible research the author had to dive through. THIS IS GREAT READING!

The Voyage of the Frolic is a readers dream. Bostonian History, Maritime life, Chinese trade, the Coast of California and our indigenous Indians all rolled into one well written and enjoyable read. Thank you Professor Layton for unraveling the past and placing it in a wonderful china bowl for all of us to peruse and get to know.

Layton is a master at pulling you in and teaching you a thing or two. I'd love to learn more about the Chinese connection.

A model of the Frolic is on display at the Cabrillo Lighthouse, Mendocino, CA. Before you visit the area, read this book. The book covers the entire history of the Frolic, those who built it, the course it took for its short 6 year life -- before sinking off Pt. Cabrillo. Its history includes its involvement with the Opium War, American incursions in China and exciting trade run with opium, Chinese ceramics and silks. A must read if you're interested in international history and the ships that created commerce and connection with the rest of the world.

Oddly enough, our book group chose Voyage of the Frolic and what great fun and an education it has been. I've always dreamed of going on an archeological expedition and here, without the dirt, pan, screens and brushes, I've discovered another layer of the past. What an eclectic history California has.

We Think The World Of You is basically a tale of "you don't
get what you want you get what you get". In the case of Frank
he wanted Johnny but ends up with a dog named Evie. An amusing
and sly look at some working class personalities and carry on.

Fantastic book !

John

First published in 1960, this book is a delicious souffle, which J. R. Ackerley has whipped to perfection. It tells the hilarious story of the love triangle involving Frank, a buttoned-down civil servant, Johnny, the working class guy he's in love with, and the beautiful, headstrong Evie. As the story opens, Johnny has been sentenced to a year in jail for breaking and entering, and Frank is worried that this will give Johnny's pregnant wife, Megan, the chance to freeze him out of Johnny's life altogether.

But in the end it's the beautiful Evie that precipitates the final crisis, forcing Frank to go through some painful self-discovery along the way. Ackerley's tone is pitch-perfect throughout. An offbeat book that is completely hilarious.



Did I mention that Evie is a German shepherd?

It would be hard to make the case that WE THINK THE WORLD OF YOU is by any means a major work, but why should that lessen your fun? Ackerley's novel is very much a surprise in its relegation of its homoeroticism (dealt with very honestly and matter-of-factly) to the background; the protagonist's homosexuality is treated as simply a matter of course rather than as the center of concern, and what gets greater attention is his complicated relationship with his lover's family and dog.

The narrator himself is a terrific creation: sneaky, pompous, arrogant, and yet also somewhat likeable despite it all. And so too are the lover's parents and the dog herself--it all has the ring of reality about it. This is a minor delight, but a delight nonetheless.

This fantastic piece of high art just gets funnier and funnier and more blackly though generously hilarious with each successive page. Brilliant.

It's practically impossible to imagine a book like this being published in today's publishing atmosphere, but thankfully, NYRB is around to buck that trend. I mean what editor today would manage a straight face upon opening a proposal about a middle-aged gay man taking care of the irrepressible dog of his working-class lover who's in jail? But as usual, with any work of art -- craft, talent, intelligence, compassion -- this remarkable work is so much more than that. Around its droll premise, Ackerley found a way to brilliantly expose the pettiness of people, regardless (or precisely because) of their social standing. The dog, which is just as vividly alive as each of this novel's (bipedal) characters, is really only it's lovable catalyst. But finally, what makes this work astounding is how it slyly and assuredly gets funnier and funnier and more blackly though generously hilarious with each successive page. A real snicker of a book.

I love this book more for the beautiful photography than anything else, and I purchased it to use it to paint watercolor landscapes with. The photographs of the scenery makes me feel that it is almost too beautiful to be real. It's a beautiful book and will sweep you off to a place you've never been to , but want to return to again and again.

Since Rosamunde Pilcher is my favorite author, I was thrilled to discover this magnificent book filled with charming stories and glorious photographs of the settings she so warmly captures in her books. From the cover photo of a country home on the south coast of Cornwall to the charming interior photos of homes reminiscent of the Balmerino and Aird homes in September, this is a delightful coffee table book that captures the essence of Pilcher country.

Rosamunde writes most lovingly of how she found her home in the Bank House in Scotland and then treats the reader to page after page of impressive photos that will make you want to pack your bags and head straightaway for either the beaches of Cornwall or on to the romantic estates of Scotland.

There are photos of an adult Rosamunde pegging her wash as Penelope might have in The Shell Seekers, as a child playing with her sister on the beach in St. Ives, on her wedding day to Graham Pilcher and many more. The cut-lines reveal the story of her mother-in-law who had a love life worthy of a Pilcher novel, her love for The Elms, the stately mansion where she grew up, and the inspiration for the settings in her novels and short stories. Quotes from The Shell Seekers, September, Coming Home, The Empty House, Another View, The Day of the Storm, Wild Mountain Thyme and other works accompany the photographs.

As well there are recipes for scones, treacle tart, creme brulee with raspberries, and more of the mouth-watering treats that have her readers yearning to sit in Penelope's kitchen or to be served tea by Violet Aird.

There is a section of the paintings that inspired her, perhaps were even the inspiration for the work of Lawrence Stern in The Shell Seekers. Most impressive to me was the painting of Laura Knight which readers of Coming Home will remember is the one Gus thought of the first time he saw Loveday.

The pictures of Scotland were equally impressive and since my favorite Pilcher novel is September, I was thrilled to see a home that might well have been Corriehill, the gala dancing which took me to Katy Steynton's birthday party, and the candle-lit table where Archie and Isobel entertained at dinner before the bash.

Truly a breathtaking book for armchair travellers in general, and readers of Rosamunde Pilcher novels in particular.

The stories of Rosamunde Scott Pilcher are so enjoyable that those of us who have read them, can't help but wonder about her life. This book is more of a celebration of her work rather than her personal history, although, I did learn a little of her background.

Rosamunde Scott was born in Lelant, England, a small village in Cornwall; however, she's lived in Dundee, Scotland, since 1955. The book gives a short, but interesting account from Pilcher, about looking for and eventually finding a flat for sale in a beautiful Victorian Bank Building in Dornoch, Scotland. The flat was apparently used as a vacation home. The book also contains quite a few wonderful old and new family photographs, and several of Pilcher's recipes.

I loved the photograph of "The Elms," which was the Scott home, where Rosamunde spent her childhood. Another interesting picture is the one of Talland House in St. Ives. It was the home of Florence Pilcher Dow, Rosamunde's mother-in-law. We're told that Talland House was once the home of Virginia Woolf's family.

There are many excerpts given from Pilcher's books. They are accompanied by glorious photographs and paintings that really illustrate her stories. The cover of the book shows an enchanting Tudor style cottage that's located in Cornwall. My guess was that it might be Pilcher's home, but it's actually another illustration of the type of house that often shows up in her stories. I also thought that the interiors shown were from Pilcher's own home, but they were not identified as such. I believe they were, again, used to illustrate the excerpts from her stories. I admit to being a little disappointed that they were not her rooms.

I consider this to be a "coffee table" book, easy reading accompanied by lovely pictures.

I have enjoyed Rosamunde Pilcher's writing for over twenty years. This book, "The World of Rosamunde Pilcher" opens a window into the land and people that inspire her. There is a brief (all too brief in my opinion), autobiographical section of her childhood, and her husband's upbringing. Her mother-in-law has a love story worthy of a Pilcher book. There are photographs of her as a child, and young married and with her family. The bulk of the book is devoted to the country in which she now lives. The story she tells of acquiring the Bank house could also be straight out of a Pilcher book. There are pages of photos of the highlands of Scotland, the coast of Cornwell and the hustle and bustle of London. It also goes into the homes she inhabits and the furnishings. We are able to see how and where she lives, get a sense of her as a person. It is easy to feel a sense of the country she loves so well, and the photos are accompanied by the author's own words. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys this prolific author, and gives an insight into what inspires and colours her wonderful tales.

This book whispered and sang about her life. One could smell the rooms in the houses shown and touch the fine furniture, feel the wind on one's face and Rosamunds love for the world she lives in.

This book is irresistable. And it is complete. For the experienced English researcher that is stuck I would say there's got to be something in this book that will help. I have an ancestor that was a Coastguardsman in Devon, circa 1850. This position made the book's index and on page 406 I learn that there are a number of records in the English Public Records Office on members of the Coastguard.

Now in a completely updated and substantially revised second edition, "Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide To British Genealogy And Family History by Mark Herber continues to be an invaluable and indispensable genealogical reference guide for novice and experienced genealogists alike whose researches require them to access the voluminous British archives of records and other published resources. Originally published in 1997 in association with the Society of Genealogists based in London, this new and expanded edition of "Ancestral Trails" provides an informed and informative guide to what records and published sources are available, how to access them, how to analyze what they archive; how to use the divers 'finding-aids' and indexes. "Ancestral Trails" also shows how to obtain and process information from living relatives, how to construct family trees, how to utilize the preserved records of birth, marriage, death, and other census data. Also covered are such sources as wills, parish records, civil and ecclesiastical court records, poll books, and property records. "Ancestral Trails" is a core addition to any professional genealogy library reference collection and a 'must' for aspiring genealogists having to deal with British source material.

This is simply the best manual of English genealogy ever published. Let's hope any upcoming edition acknowledges the existance of the Internet.

"No other publication gives such comprehensive and up-to-date guidance on tracing British ancestry and researching family history. Illustrated throughout with more than ninety examples of the major types of records, and with detailed lists of further reading, Ancestral Trails will be the essential companion and guide for all family historians." Anthony Camp, Director, Society of Genealogists.

This excellent publication was created in association with the prestigious Society of Genealogists, perhaps akin to the US' National Genealogical Society. The author Mark D. Herber is a solicitor who began researching his family in 1979. He has successfully traced some of his lines back to around 1580.

Indeed I was impressed with this 674 page "encyclopedia." (Quotes added for emphasis!) The bibliography alone is twenty-two pages. My experience with English records has been limited to early parish records in Devon and some Court of Canterbury wills, so I was most eager to have the opinion of three friends who do extensive English, Welsh and Irish research, and indeed are successful in helping others make strong headway in their research. You can imagine the excitement at our local LDS Family History Center as they poured over the book with uncustomary enthusiasm!

The consensus is that ANCESTRAL TRAILS is as definitive of British research as Ancestry's THE SOURCE is of American genealogy. Lew, a 1st generation Brit, was impressed with the chapter on military records, and made a note to order the book forthwith. Elsie, born of English immigrant parents, had been inquiring previously about manor court records and found this publication provided more than she had found in explanation elsewhere. I was impressed with the 94 illustrations, including typical certificates of vital records, representative samples of wills and the like.

Also impressive is the attention given to beginning genealogists. Basics such as pedigree charts, personal recollections & memorabilia, spelling, handwriting, dates, obtaining certificates and organization of collected materials are discussed with ample illustrations.

Additional chapters include: General Problems Encountered by Researchers, Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Census Returns, Parish Registers, Churchyards and Cemeteries, Directories, Combining Sources, Archives, Libraries and Family History Societies, Wills and Administrations,Catholic, Nonconformist and Jewish Records, Marriage and Divorce, Maps, Land Registrations and Property Records, Local and Social History, Newspapers and Elections,Parish and Town Records, Records of the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, Records of Shipping and Seaman, Records of Trades, Professions and Business, Oaths, Taxation and Insurance Records Records of Civil and Ecclesiastical Courts, Records of the Criminal Courts and Criminals, Education, Peerages, the Gentry, Famous People and Heraldry, Further Property Records, Tracing Migrants and Living Relatives, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands Immigration, Emigration and Investigation Abroad

Appendices included essential information under the following topics: Codes for areas and volumes in the GRO Indexes, Indexes to other GRO records, Chapman County Codes, Seize Quarters of Bessie Maude Symes, Extracts from the Bullied and Keates family trees, Public Record Office Information Leaflets, County Record Offices & other archives, Commencement dates of the reigns of English and British monarchs, Wills & Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury: A Summary of Finding-Aids, Records of the Court of Chancery: A summary of Finding-Aids.

Owing only to its tiny print, you'll need a magnifying glass in addition to your bi-focals to glean all that's contained in Ancestral Trails. On the best advice of our resident "British Research Gurus," I most heartily recommend this book.

DearMYRTLE

Daily Genealogy Columnist

Genealogy Forum on America Online

Keyword: dearmyrtle

I checked this book out from my local library because I felt that I was floundering with my British research. This book answered all the questions that I had, and much, much more. I'm not going to write a long review of this because there are a couple of other excellent reviews here already. I just wanted to add that there is a second edition of this book, from January 2004, available in England, but unfortunately not in the US yet. Because the internet is so valuable to those of us trying to do research from abroad, I decided to spend the extra money and order the newer edition from www.amazon.co.uk . It is more expensive, but it seemed worth it to me to have the most recent edition. If that's important to you, check the publication date on the edition advertised.

I bought this book at the same time I purchased Peter Clarke's marvelous "The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire" on what I thought the reasonable assumption that it might provide the social history complement to Clarke's account of the geopolitical death rattles of the Empire following the war. That it precisely served that function better than I could have imagined does not in any way diminish its value as a brilliant stand-alone analysis of everyday life in post-war Britain that will certainly never be duplicated in either its scholarship or compass. Kynaston weaves an incredibly rich fabric of first-person accounts and commentaries ranging from housewives to the Labour party's leadership to incipient and established entertainers to sports stars and innumerable others high and low on the social scale, each citation perfectly apt and illustrative in its context. The reader feels he is living the period, suffering with the deprived homemaker, hoping against experience with the coal miner, sensing pitfalls to the social planning completely unanticipated at the time, and generally acquiring an understanding of those years that completely supplants everything one thought one knew of the subject. The book is a bit of a slog what with over 600 pages of text, and in my experience, there are very few works of this size that are worth the time an effort. Be assured that this is one of them and that every reader is looking forward to the promised sequel covering the years 1953-79. Social history, indeed, history, doesn't get much better than this.

An excellent description of that time in England. Brought back a lot of memories. Probably less interesting to folks who had NOT lived through it.

Austerity Britain presents an interesting retrospective on the tough times in the immediate post-war era. It is a good companion/follow on to "How we lived then" about the actual war years. Some of the political philosophy, particularly in the earlier chapters can be a bit heavy going, but the view on what it was like to live through the period is good, particularly if you did actually survive those years, as did this reviewer.

Written for a British eye more than for an American, this American learned a stronger respect for the people of Britain for the way they won the war and then won back their share of industry and prosperity. Having won a glorious victory, within hours the victorious citizens of the country that sustained almost six years of war following on a prolonged depression realized that the trials of war time would be extended by the austerity of post-war Europe. While England won the war, they paid a high price. More important, the collective, heroic efforts of the large working class produced a tide of enthusiasm for nationalisation of industry, housing to replace the hundreds of thousands displaced by German bombing, and a broad social welfare plan focusing primarily on health care.

It is not a pretty story. Post-war England was drab, lacking many basics, watching its empire dissolve, and driven by a strong, centralized plan to restore the economy that changed the basic way people looked at business and government. And, with the continuing pressures of rebuilding the rest of Europe, the threat of further communist expansion, and the rise of American power, perhaps Britain went too far in moving towards a benevolent but often clumsy and experimental form of socialism. It would be almost another forty years and the decisions of the Thatcher government, that saw the maturity and, in some cases, the reversal of this social and cultural experiment.

This is a long, dense and colorful book, full of first-person details and observations, many of them from the surveys and observations of the government itself. Chapters focus on various aspects of the cultural and social revolution, in the classroom, on the factory floor, in the (mine) pits, in the shops, in the media, and more. At one bookstore where I looked for the book, they claimed that it was a textbook and not part of their trade book collection. While it is as thorough -- or more -- as any academic textbook, it reads more like a highly detailed, multi-authored journal or catalog of the period. Invest the time.

A very nice journey into the past, where you as the traveler, are entertained, amazed and surprised at how the English people survived the war. I was entranced to read how the English took everything, well actually, without anything that we all took for granted, in stride. They suffered the most during the war and gave their all for victory. This is a wonderful story told as how it was to live, eat, entertain and get on.

This volume measures up to the superb standards of the Anatomy of a Ship series, and it is high time we had such a comprehensive and attractive guide to HMS Dreadnought, the prototype for all 20th century battleships. The book includes a narrative history of the ship and description of its features, full technical data, and superb drawings of virtually every detail of the ship's construction and equipment. The one request I would ask only for more interior photos. Highly recommended to historians, naval buffs and serious modellers.

I purchased this book for two reasons. First, I make models of ships. This book is an invaluable reference manual. The detail will actually go into the internal layout of the ship. Crew cabins and sleeping area will show up on the details. The very excellent plans of the ship are worth $30 to $40 dollars at any shop that sells ship plans. That is worth the price of the book.

Conversely, I was a little surprised at the write up of the operation of the ship. Dreadnought had no economical cruise speed. So, unlike other ships of her time period, like the USS Michigan, she was never economical to operate. Dreadnough had no design flaws. Thus, she was the working prototype for all British Great War ships. In design she was perfect.

I was very happy with the pictures of the ship. I had never seen most of the pictures before. The level of detail in these pictures gives a good picture of the set up of the ship.

This book is not a operational history. That is somewhat a regret. However, people wanting an operational history of the ship should read Robert Massey's excellent "Castles of Steel".

This book is total truth in advertising, it is a study of the ship. It is a total look at the Dreadnought. The book is vital for model builders and is a great reference for any student of history.

5 Stars.

The book can be broken into three parts, the first is relatively brief and gives the background to how the ship came about, its costs, major issues etc.
There then follows an extensive collection of photograhs showing the ship during it's construction.
The remainder of the book (probably about 60% of it) consists of plans and construction drawings of the ship. These provide a wealth of detail on all aspects of the ship ranging from construction of the ships boilers to the attachment arrangement of steel girders.
If you want to see how an early dreadnought is put together you'll love this book. However it doesn't give the designers reasoning for the decisions made (or the issues they had to resolve). Therefore if you want to know what was built it's a good chioce; if you want to know why they built it the way they did you'll need to look elsewhere (Battleship Design & Development 1905-1945 by Friedman gives a much more detailed assessment of the conflicting engineering issues facing any battleship designer).

In a nutshell this book is detailed blueprints for the HMS Dreadnought. There is a small amount of text at the beginning, as well as unusually in depth statistical details such as how much the ship cost to be built as well.

The majority of the book after that first chapter are all schematics. You will see deck by deck plans for every toom in the ship, with many rooms even more detailed in their own chapters. Who would have guessed the ship's prison was in the same room as the toilets at the rear of the ship? Did you know that the ammunition bunkers have air conditioning to keep the gunpowder/cordite a consistant temperature for consistant gunnery? Did you know that the boiler rooms have air forced into them in the steam age equivalent of turbo charging?

Where the book does fall flat however is explaining all these details. You had better already have a good idea of what the components of a battleship are, because the schematics do not explain what it is you are looking at.

I still give it a 5 out of 5 because you will not find this level of detail in any other book.

Naval history enthusiasts will be familiar with this series, each book being organized into a written section covering history and design data, then a pictorial, followed by immensely detailed drawings.

The Anatomy series is written to a 5-star standard. However, allow me to suggest this book to be a notch above the Hood, Yamato, and Warspite volumes, into 5 1/2 star territory.