History is full to the brim with untold tales of heroics and villainy, gruesome battles, hilarious happenings and downright bizarre coincidences. Meet the war veteran who lost an eye and amputated his own fingers. Discover the original Die Hards, whose bravery would put even Bruce Willis to shame. Just who stole the still-missing Irish crown jewels and how did Adeline, Countess of Cardigan, scandalise society so completely?In Lessons from History, Alex Deane takes us on an...

"Fabulously entertaining, Alex Deane's wry, witty stories take hidden gems from our shared history and polish them until they shine. A must-read." – Iain Dale"Ribald, riotous and sometimes surreal, Alex Deane's dispatches from the forgotten corners of history bring heroes and villains roaring vividly and often poignantly back to life." – Gavin Esler"Alex Deane's tongue-in-cheek tales of eccentricity and endeavour not only shed light...

The debate about our DNA database, the largest per capita in the world, has dominated headlines throughout the last few years. Britain has more CCTV cameras than any other country in the world, and even more are being installed - including in private homes, facing out into the street. With the Intercept Modernisation Programme, the current government plans to record details of every telephone call made and e-mail sent by people in the United Kingdom. A database of households, is set to be ...

Al Murray's (AKA The Pub Landlord) musing on his childhood where his fascination with history and all things war began.Have you ever watched a film with someone who, at the most dramatic scene, argues that the plane on screen hasn't been invented yet? Or that the tank rumbling towards the hero at the end of the film is the wrong tank altogether?Al Murray is that someone. Try as he might, he can’t help himself.Growing up in the 1970s, Al, with the help of his dad, be...

A unique look at the military misconceptions that we take for granted, and a revelation of the truth behind the lies.Who tried to bomb Japan with bats? Who invented the air-gun in 250BC? Which stories should we believe? The so-called Dambusters raid was all but ineffective; the Hurricane not the Spitfire was the champion of the Battle of Britain; Singapore did not fall because all the guns were pointing the wrong way' and who would go to war over a game of football...

***'***Highly readable . . . an intimate and varied account of fascinating stories of people at war' History of WarWar Stories is a fascinating account of ordinary men and women swept up in the turbulence of war. These are the stories - many untold until now - of thirty-four individuals who have pushed the boundaries of love, bravery, suffering and terror beyond the imaginable. They span three centuries and five continents. There is the courage of...

In 1914 a train pulled into a provincial British railway station. The porter, a curious chap, asked the regiment of soldiers where they were from. 'Ross-shire,' one called down, but the porter heard 'Russia'. And so began a rumour that led to Germany losing the First World War.Often the history we learn at school is only half the story. We hear of heroic deeds and visionary leaders, but we never hear about the people who turned up late for court and thereby changed the law, or who stood in...

The Telegraph’s obituaries pages are renowned for their quality of writing and capacity to distil the essence of a life from its most extraordinary moments. A unique mix of heroism, ingenuity, infamy and the bizarre, Thinker, Failure, Soldier, Jailer collects the very best of those obituaries to present an endlessly absorbing compendium of human endeavour.Organised day by day around the calendar year, with each life presented on the date it ended, the book feature...

War brings out the very best and worst in people although, frankly, its usually the latter. But for all our thousands of years of practice at this most dangerous art there is precious little evidence that we're either outgrowing it or getting any good at it. It is an occupation filled with heroism, genius, hubris, idiocy and blind panic all bought on at least in part by large measures of astonishingly good and bad luck - and they're all here in Charge! This is not a book filled wi...

This is the full autobiography of one of World War II's most popular heroes. Whilst Arnhem was the height of his career here he describes his early life in the Army (in Scotland), his service abroad, his polo matches, his family and, above all, the ever famous actions including the Bruneval Raid and the fighting in North Africa in which he took part.

A complete guide to everyday words with military origins.Did you know they started 'hearing through the grapevine' during the American Civil War, that 'ghettos' originated in Venice or that 'deadline' has a very sinister origin?Jam-packed with many amazing facts, Sticklers, Sideburns and Bikinis is a fascinating trip through the words and phrases that came to us from the military but nowadays are used by soldier and civilian alike. The sources of m...

Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon’s Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason’s many revelations, you’ll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You’ll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon’s painful hemorrhoids prevented...