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The First World War in Photographs 1916 - A War of Attrition - Signed copy

The third year of the Great War was to see the introduction of conscription for the first time in Britain to feed the insatiable demand for men at the Front. It was just as well, as the spring saw the launch of the German offensive at Verdun and the British counter-attack, but neither side achieved any significant gains.

What's inside 'The First World War in Photographs 1916 - A War of Attrition'

On 1 July the Allies experienced the bloodiest day of the war at the start of the Somme campaign with some 60,000 men killed in a single day. The British Mark 1 tank also made its combat debut at the Somme, heralding a new era of mechanised warfare. 1916 was also the year of the Battle of Jutland, which was the greatest naval encounter of the war but resulted in an inconclusive outcome with both sides losing many ships.

Shortly afterwards Lord Kitchener died when HMS Hampshire hit a mine. Kitchener had become the iconic figure of the First World War, appearing on countless recruiting posters. On the Eastern Front the Russian forces pushed forward to draw the Germans into pulling their troops away from the Western Front.

John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon tell the story of 1916 at war using many rare and often unpublished images, showing the full horror of the conflict, as well as its impact on the everyday person. 1916 is the third volume in this year-by-year series documenting those times.

'The First World War in Photographs 1916 - A War of Attrition' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445622088
Format: Softback, 176 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The London & Blackwall Railway - Signed copy

Docklands First Railway Originally known as the Commercial Railway, the London & Blackwall was one of London's earliest and most distinctive lines. Stretching eastwards along a string of viaducts, it went from the City to Blackwall on the Thames.

What's inside the book 'The London & Blackwall Railway - Docklands First Railway'

It was worked by a rope haulage system initially, rather than conventional locomotives, and was built to a non-standard gauge of about 5 feet (all the more surprising given the involvement of the engineer Robert Stephenson).

The railway served a mixed clientele, with dock workers and seamen rubbing shoulders with day-trippers and travellers connecting with vessels moored at Blackwall. Later extensions took the rails into the Isle of Dogs and, via Bow, to the east and northeast of London.

Leased by the Great Eastern Railway in 1866, it was later absorbed by the LNER until passenger services ceased in 1926. Final closure of the railway in 1968 was not the end of the line however, for the arrival of the Docklands Light Railway saw much of the route brought back into regular use.

'The London & Blackwall Railway - Docklands First Railway' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2013
ISBN: 9781445621722
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The London Of Sherlock Holmes - Signed copy

"Look out of this window, Watson. See how the figures loom up, are dimly seen, and then blend once more into the cloud-bank. The thief or murderer could roam London on such a day as the tiger does the jungle, unseen until he pounces…"

What's inside 'The London Of Sherlock Holmes'

Arthur Conan Doyle penned 56 short stories and four novels featuring the detective and his faithful assistant, Dr Watson, mostly set in and around London. From 1887 until 1927, each new story captivated readers. Within the stories, over 250 London landmarks and streets are mentioned and John Christopher has brought together archived and more recent images of the most famous of Holmes's London haunts.

Discovering the London of Sherlock Holmes gives the reader an insight into the London of the master detective, with guides to the locations which feature in the stories.

From Scotland Yard to Paddington Station, from Victoria to the Embankment, from the Houses of Parliament to Holmes' own residence in 221B Baker Street, this illustrated guide brings Holmes into the modern day and makes it easy for the fan to guide themselves around the venues from the stories.

'The London Of Sherlock Holmes' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2012
ISBN: 9781445603544
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The Lost Works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel - Signed copy

IKB is rightly famous for the great engineering wonders that have survived - from the SS Great Britain to the delights of Paddington and Temple Meads stations - but it may be surprising to learn that much of what he designed has been destroyed or lost.

What to expect from the 'The Lost Works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel'

From the ships, the Great Western and Great Eastern, to the majestic water towers of Crystal Palace, the Hungerford Bridge over the Thames to the South Devon atmospheric railway, many of Brunel's achievements have been lost to rebuilding, fire, neglect and scrapping.

John Christopher, acknowledged Brunel expert and the author takes us on a tour of the lost works of Brunel. By tracing what remains or by telling the story of the treasures lost to us, he demonstrates just why Brunel can truly be crowned as Britain's most famous engineer.

'Land Rover Series I, II, III & Defender' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9781445600901
Format: Softback, 128 pages
Size: 235 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The Second World War In Colour - Luftwaffe - Signed copy

This superb collection of wartime colour photographs brings the Luftwaffe – its aircraft and personnel – to life in a dramatically vivid way. Colour photography was still a rare thing in the 1930s and 1940s.

What to expect from the book 'WWII In Colour - Luftwaffe'

Various systems had been tried, but it was the Germans who had the greatest success with their Agfacolor process. This meant that colour images could be produced with basic darkroom equipment, even close to the action.

As a result the members of the Propaganda Kompanie, armed with Leica cameras and the new Agfacolor film, were able to capture aspects of the Luftwaffe’s operations in a way never seen before.

A wide range of aircraft and theatres of war are featured, including Messerschmitts Bf 109 and Bf 110, Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Ju 52 transport, Ju 86 and Ju 88, Dornier 17, Focke-Wulf 200 Condor, Heinkel He 111, Gotha Go 224 transport and others plus ground crew and anti-aircraft teams.

The resulting pictures were published in a number of magazines, including the Luftwaffe’s Der Adler, as well as in books aimed at the home front audience.

'The Second World War In Colour - Luftwaffe' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445638928
Format: Softback, 128 pages
Size: 246 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The Second World War in Photographs 1942 - On The Offensive

1942 was the turning point of the war. In the words of Winston Churchill, it was ‘not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’

What's inside 'The Second World War in Photographs 1942 - On The Offensive

In the Pacific the Japanese had been soundly defeated at the Battle of Midway, with the loss of four valuable and irreplaceable aircraft carriers, while the Allied landings in North Africa had been a complete success, and the rout of the German and Italian soldiers in the desert war had begun in earnest.

Fortress Britain saw the infamous Baedeker raids on English towns and cities, but also the build-up of American troops and material in preparation for the invasion of mainland Europe, of which August’s costly raid on Dieppe was a precursor.

Despite some setbacks, the war had changed and the Allies were on the attack on all fronts. In Russia, the German 6th Army spent the New Year surrounded in Stalingrad, the Germans and Italians being squeezed in North Africa, and the Japanese were suffering defeat after defeat.

John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon tell the story of 1942 at war using many rare and often unpublished images, showing the rapidly changing nature of the conflict, as well as its impact on the everyday person. It is part of a year-by-year series documenting the Second World War from 1939 to 1945.

The Second World War in Photographs 1939
1940 - Britain Stands Alone
1941 - A Global Conflict
1943 - The Turning Point
1944 - Liberation And Vengeance
1945 - A Brave New World

'The Second World War in Photographs 1942 - On The Offensive' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445622118
Format: Softback, 176 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The Second World War in Photographs 1943 - The Turning Point

1943 saw the Allies on the offensive, with victories in North Africa followed by the invasion of Sicily and landings in Italy establishing a foothold on mainland Europe, while on the Eastern Front the Red Army was making gains, and in the Pacific the Japanese-held islands were falling.

What's inside 'The Second World War in Photographs 1943 - The Turning Point'

The change in the Allies’ fortunes had begun the previous year and now they were building on those successes, paving the way for the major return to Europe with D-Day planned for 1944.

The 8th Army’s successes in the Tunisian campaign pushed the German Afrika Korps out of North Africa. This was followed by the invasion of Sicily in May and landings on the toe of Italy in September, resulting in the ousting of Benito Mussolini. Other Allied successes came in the Pacific with the taking of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, together with British and Chinese advances in Burma, putting the Japanese onto the defensive.

The conflict in Russia saw the key tank battle at Kursk and the subsequent retaking of some German-held territory. Other events included the Dambuster raids, an attack on the Ploesti oil refineries and the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto.

John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon tell the story of 1943 at war using many rare and often unpublished images, showing the rapidly changing nature of the conflict, as well as its impact on the everyday person. It is part of a year-by-year series documenting the Second World War from 1939 to 1945.

The Second World War in Photographs 1939
1940 - Britain Stands Alone
1941 - A Global Conflict
1942 - On The Offensive
1944 - Liberation And Vengeance
1945 - A Brave New World

'The Second World War in Photographs 1943 - The Turning Point' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445622132
Format: Softback, 176 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The Second World War in Photographs 1944 - Liberation And Vengeance

1944 saw the largest seaborne invasion ever staged in Operation Overlord. The Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, opened the way for the thrust into the occupied countries of northern Europe, in particular France, with the Allies liberating Paris in August.

What's inside 'The Second World War in Photographs 1944 - Liberation And Vengeance'

Other triumphs in the sixth year of the war included the Red Army regaining Leningrad on the Eastern Front, defeats for the Japanese in the Battle of the Philippine Sea as well as the British advances in Burma, and there were the American landings in Anzio, the taking of Rome, and further landings in Greece.

Victory was almost within sight, but it couldn’t be taken for granted as the war was entering a new phase and the Nazi war machine still had a sting in its tail.

Infuriated by Allied gains, Hitler unleashed the long-promised Vengeance weapons, in particular the V1 flying bomb and the V2 ballistic missile, in the belief that they would turn the tide of the war in Germany’s favour. There was also the question of whether Nazi scientists were developing an atomic bomb.

John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon tell the story of 1944 at war using many rare and often unpublished images, showing the rapidly changing nature of the conflict.

The Second World War in Photographs 1939
1940 - Britain Stands Alone
1941 - A Global Conflict
1942 - On The Offensive
1943 - The Turning Point
1945 - A Brave New World

'The Second World War in Photographs 1944 - Liberation And Vengeance' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445622149
Format: Softback, 176 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

The Second World War in Photographs 1945 - A Brave New World

1945 was the meeting point of two eras. It marked the end of the Second World War, a conflict ushered in by the lightning strikes of the Blitzkrieg and characterised by the brutalities inflicted by the Nazi regime. It concluded with the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – events that shaped the course of post-war history.

What's inside 'The Second World War in Photographs 1945 - A Brave New World'

After six long years of war, the Allies’ inexorable push into the heart of Germany brought the conflict in Europe to an end in the spring, but not without incident. The fire-bombing of Dresden in February destroyed a city and killed an estimated 130,000, and the final days of Hitler’s Reich saw bitter battles in the streets of Berlin.

It was only once the fighting was over that the world became aware of the horrors of the concentration camps and the systematic attempt by the Nazis to wipe out an entire section of the human race.

In the Pacific the fighting continued into the summer until the Allies, faced with a prolonged campaign to take each and every island stronghold, dropped the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing the war to a sudden end in August 1945. Yet even before the dust had settled, the victorious nations were carving up the conquered territories to create a new world order in which the Cold War era saw former Allies turned into enemies.

John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon tell the story of 1945 at war using many rare and often unpublished images, showing the conclusion of the conflict and the dawn of the Cold War.

The Second World War in Photographs 1939
1940 - Britain Stands Alone
1941 - A Global Conflict
1942 - On The Offensive
1943 - The Turning Point
1944 - Liberation And Vengeance

'The Second World War in Photographs 1945 - A Brave New World' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445622156
Format: Softback, 176 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Thomas Telford Through Time

Before the emergence of the steam railway rocketed the Victorian engineers Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Robert Stephenson into the limelight, there was a ‘Colossus’ who already dominated the engineering scene and had laid the foundations for what was to follow.

What's inside 'Thomas Telford Through Time'

Thomas Telford built a series of ambitious road and canal projects, many notable bridges including his ground-breaking suspension bridge over the Menai Straits, plus many notable harbour works and buildings.

Contrasting old and new images, John Christopher examines Telford’s principal works to highlight his diverse, but often overshadowed, achievements. These include not only the Menai bridge, of course, but also his other masonry and iron bridges, as well as the Ellesmere Canal with its aqueducts at Pontcysyllte and Chirk, the Caledonian Canal slicing through Scotland’s Great Glen, and the A5 road running between London and Holyhead.

'Thomas Telford Through Time' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2016
ISBN: 9781445657813
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Victoria Station Through Time - Signed copy

This is the second volume in the Through Time series telling the story of London's famous railway termini. Every year 115 million people pass through Victoria, making it London's second busiest station after Waterloo.

What's inside 'Victoria Station Through Time'

Victoria Station is not one station, but was actually in two parts; one built for the London, Brighton & South Coast railway, the other for the London, Chatham & Dover Railway, with the first of these halves opening in October 1860, and the other following in August 1862.

As such, its architecture and design has always been a mating of two distinctive styles, each with its own booking office, stationmaster, platform numbering and timetable. The original LBSCR station was plain, with a simple iron girder roof, while the LCDR station had a wide canopy roof. Various rebuildings see us with the station of today.

The amalgamation of various lines operating into the South East and Southern England into the Southern Railway, saw the stations finally being joined as one. Victoria has been the gateway to the continent, with boat trains running to various ports in the South Coast and is also a major underground station on the Victoria, District and Circle Lines.

This volume is part of the fully-illustrated Through Time series on London's major railway termini. Others include Waterloo Station, St Pancras, Euston, King’s Cross and Paddington.

'Victoria Station Through Time' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9781445602493
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Waterloo Station Through Time - Signed

The first Waterloo Station opened in 1848 and was originally owned by the London & South Western Railway and originally known as Waterloo Bridge Station. John Christopher tells the story of Waterloo from its early beginnings, when the LSWR extended its route from Nine Elms, to the present day. 

What's inside 'Waterloo Station Through Time'

The current building was completed in 1922 following a huge rebuilding programme started in 1899. Catering for suburban traffic, Waterloo is also the major station for trains to Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth and once served the famous boat trains. Close by was the London Necropolis Railway station, which took coffins to Brookwood Cemetery.

Eurostar trains and Waterloo Station

For a time, the station was the base for Eurostar trains and a new Crossrail project may see Waterloo connected with Euston. This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Waterloo Station has changed and developed over the years. It is now Britain's busiest and largest station.

Other London railway stations in this 'Through Time' series include Paddington Station, Victoria Station, King's Cross Station and Euston Station.

'Waterloo Station Through Time' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445650852
Format: Softback 96 pages
Size: 235 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Wotton-under-Edge Through Time - A fascinating collection of old and new photographs of this beautiful market town - Signed

Wotton-under-Edge, standing at the foot of the Cotswolds and tracing its roots back to Saxon times, has seen much change over the last 150 years. The industrial revolution, and the transformation of the transport industry, has greatly affected both the architecture and everyday practices of the town.

What to expect from 'Wotton-under-Edge Through Time'

Some of these changes have been small and gradual, some monumental. Once-empty streets are now cluttered with parked cars, new housing estates have spread outwards and the old woollen mills have found new life for a variety of businesses.

This book will take readers on a photographic guided tour of Wotton-under-Edge, past and present, and highlights some of the startling changes and similarities within this charming town.

'Wotton-under-Edge Through Time' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9781848689640
Format: Softback 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection