This go-to book on peregrine falcons provides a timely, captivating, and educational blend of natural history, science, exhaustive research, and personal reflections on this dynamic raptor. Written by seasoned journalist and longtime raptor monitor Jim Wright, The Peregrine Falcon offers a comprehensive look at the world's fastest creature.Learn why peregrines live in cities, how they can reach speeds of 200 mph, and why they are so fast and fierce, as well as all the basic...

One terrible night in January, 1953, Britain's East Coast was battered by a huge North Sea surge. Hundreds died and many more were made homeless. Lincolnshire was one of the counties worst affected. This is the story of what happened that fateful night in the popular holiday resorts of Mablethorpe, Skegness, Cleethorpes and Ingoldmells.

"A refreshingly authentic and engagingly written look at the little known ornithologist behind the iconic name. Ian Fleming could not have written better." —Pete Dunne, author of Birds of Prey"Whatever happened to him actually outshines anything I've had my James Bond do." —Ian FlemingJames Bond: author, ornithologist, marksman, and . . . identity-theft victim? Packed with archival photos, many never before published, and interviews with the...

In April 1907, Grimsby mayor Jacob Pickwell was probably one of the few in the town who possessed a telephone.At 6am one day in April that year, it rang, rousing him from his slumber.Who was the caller at such an early hour?The man pronounced himself to be Prince Makaroo, a Zulu chieftain!What happened next makes up one of the chapters of this publication which recounts many strange events as recorded in newspaper accounts of the time.Also explored a...

Whatever happened to him actually outshines anything I’ve had my James Bond do. —Ian FlemingJames Bond: author, ornithologist, marksman, and . . . identity-theft victim? When James Bond published his landmark book, Birds of the West Indies, he had no idea it would set in motion events that would link him to the most iconic spy in the Western world and turn his life upside down. Born into a wealthy family but cut off in his early twenties, James Bond took off to the West Indies in s...

By mid 2018, there were more 342,000 wind turbines spinning on the planet - either on land or offshore.The figure includes more than 105,000 in China, 53,000 in the USA and 10,000 in Europe.They have been installed partly to make profitable use of a free natural resource, wind, and partly in response to ongoing concerns that longstanding use of fossil fuels to generate energy may be gradually warming the globe, resulting in rising sea levels and other perils.But the...

THE MAN WHO KEPT BOUNCING BACKOver the years, millions of people have spent happy holidays at Butlin's.This intriguing publication traces the twists and turns of its founder's remarkable career, both in Toronto, Canada, and in many cities, towns, and villages the UK.Since his death in 1980, Butlin's reputation has fallen into neglect. There is now a tendency to sneer at his legacy.But he was one of the most remarkable entrepreneurs of the la...

Often described (inaccurately) as the 'Russian' linesman, Tofiq Bahramov will forever have a place in the history of football.In a moment of high drama during extra-time in the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany, it was he who controversially advised Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst that, yes, the ball had crossed the line, and that a goal should be awarded to the host nation.It was the turning point of the match which England went on to win 4-2.In ...

Events from Grimsby's colourful past are recalled in this fascinating retrospective.When, for instance, Spanish flu hit Lincolnshire's famous fishing town, people queued to buy quinine - thought to be an effective remedy for the potentially lethal disease.On a different tack, sharks were an unusual catch for one fishing vessel - and their meat was dispatched to London Zoo to feed the resident polar bears.And how did the famous umbrella of Prime Minister Neville Cham...

In the past twenty years, big-time stock-car racing has become America’s fastest growing spectator sport. Winston Cup races draw larger audiences—at the tracks and on television—than any other sport, and drivers like Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin have become cultural icons whose endorsements command millions. What accounts for NASCAR’s surging popularity?For years a “closeted” NASCAR fan, Professor Jim Wright took advantage of a sabbatical in 1999 to attend stock-car ra...

Finding Calmwater: The Story of One Man’s Marriage and Divorceby Jim WrightIn quite possibly the only book of its kind, Jim Wright shares his personal story of marriage and divorce with the hope of educating men that may be contemplating, in the process of, or that have just gone through a divorce. He explores not only the divorce process, but its fallout on immediate and extended family, friends, personal finances, and the nature of sexuality relative to popular beliefs re...

February 2024 marks sixty-two years of playing bass and guitar for Jim Wright. Jim started his first band with a school friend and went on to open for such groups as the Animals, the Turtles, Tommy James & the Shondells, Peter and Gordon, We Five, Chad & Jeremy, New Colony Six, the Buckinghams, Shadows of Night, the Cryan' Shames, and many others. He has also performed backups with Chuck Berry and Neil Diamond and jammed with Edgar Winter.He has performed solo, singing and playing ...