For more than 400 years, the big-gun warship stood as the supreme naval war machine. It was not only a major instrument of warfare, but a visible emblem of a nation’s power, wealth and pride.The World’s Greatest Battleships features 52 of the greatest warships to have sailed in the last 500 years. Beginning with English king Henry VIII’s flagship, Henry Grace à Dieu, the book covers all the main periods of battleship development, including the great sail ships, suc...

Bobby and Joey's new mobile disco business seems like the answer to everything, until they lock horns with the local gangster … First in the critically acclaimed, hilarious and heartbreaking Disco Days Trilogy, by one of Scotland's finest writers.***Longlisted for the Authors' Club First Novel Award***'This is a book that might just make you cry like nobody's watching' Iain MacLeod, Sunday Mail'Ross creates...

The New York Times –bestselling memoir that's packed with "compelling inside stories" from the former Chicago Cubs catcher and manager ( Chicago Tribune ).In 2016 the Cubs snapped a 108-year curse, winning the World Series in a history-making, seven-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Of the many storylines to Chicago's fairytale season, one stood out: the late-career rena...

The unforgettable finale to the international, bestselling Disco Days Trilogy … Bobby, Joey and Max Mojo return in an attempt to reclaim the elusive stardom of their youth, reuniting a legendary band that didn't quite live up to expectations, with predictable results…'A real new talent on the Scottish literary scene' Press & Journal'By turn hilarious and heart-breaking, more than anything Ross creates beautifully rounded characters...

Surnames give us a sense of identity and belonging. Even in today's mobile society they can have strong links with particular areas. They are keys to our family history. And they always have an original meaning. This new collection of some 400 names, gathered from Shetland to Galloway, provides an informative and reliable guide to Scottish surnames from Abercrombie and Abernethy to Younie and Yuill.In each case the original meaning is given, along with the original location and its...

When a young Ayrshire band unexpectedly hits the big time with the smash hit record of 1984, everything looks rosy, despite their delusional young manager and a thwarted plot to kidnap Boy George. What could possibly go wrong? The riotously funny, heartwarming, and deeply poignant second book in the bestselling Disco Days Trilogy.***Now adapted for the stage by Scotland's Borderline Theatre Co. and the Ayr Gaiety theatre***'This band would ...

The Scots have always had a reputation for clarity of thought and also for the vigour with which it is put into words.This collection spans the entire gamut of a nation's recorded thought and experience from Roman Scotland to the present day. It covers a vast range of subject matter and demonstrates a remarkable variety of moods and tones, from the literary to the colloquial and bawdy. Packed with sharp observation and humour, it sounds other notes too. Meditative, triumphant, trag...

From poverty to immense wealth, from humble beginnings to international celebrity, George and Robert Stephenson's was an extraordinary joint career. Together they overshadow all other engineers, with the possible exception of Robert's friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel, for one vital reason: they were winners. For them it was not enough to follow the progress made by others. They had to be the best. Colossal in confidence, ability, energy and ambition, George Stephenson was al...

Life is too short to waste on unproductive workshops and draining meetings.We've all sat through workshops and meetings that drag. Perhaps participants were overwhelmed by "zoom fatigue" or there were plenty of opinions but no agreed way forward.This book provides a fail-safe methodology to address these common pitfalls and design and host workshops and meetings that produce real business outcomes.Created by a leading workshop training provider, the...

The 2000-plus years of Scottish history have seen a huge variety of events, from great national moments to personal achievements, each one helping to make and mould the character of the nation. This compendium takes note of the milestones – historical as well as cultural, serious as well as entertaining – but also of the many steps between them.Carefully chosen and researched for their interest and variety, they make a fascinating record: 150 vignettes form a 'family album' of the ...

Advocacy, first published in 2007, explains how to win cases in court. Focusing on the techniques and methods of successful advocates, David Ross QC shows how to prepare a case for court. Writing in simple, clear language he gives the benefit of his many years of local and international experience. This second edition features new advice about how to prepare for, and run, an appeal, as well as how to write effective submissions to court. It also describes: • how to hold a court's attention...

“In Confronting the Storm, David passionately argues for a shift from the predominant legacy thinking that struggles with our greatest challenges to a regenerative and collaborative mindset within leaders. Humanity is at a fork in the road so new, creative, and urgent leadership is essential. For us all and future generations to be able to thrive on Spaceship Earth, this book makes for compelling reading.” –David Houle, MD, The Sarasota Institute and 5x TEDx speak...