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An insider's guide to alternative and delicious places to stop just off motorways and main roads

Motorways can be miserable and impersonal places. Frequently crowded, joyless and uninspiring, the food is dull and you can barely stretch your legs. What could be better than swinging into our wonderful countryside to refuel and recharge in a delightful farm shop, cosy pub or charming cafe instead?

Here are some of our favourite places to pull in for a pit stop, tranquil spots where the food is superb, the welcome warm and the children free to roam. Sometimes the grass really is greener.

Bradshaw’s Guide: Bradshaw At The Seaside

This Bradshaw's Guide 'Bradshaw At The Seaside' introduced the notion of seaside holidays to the general public and thanks to the railways it became possible for a town or city dweller to catch a train for a day-trip to the coast and still be home in time for supper.

What's inside this Bradshaw Guide 'Bradshaw At The Seaside'

‘Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside,
I do like to be beside the sea!
I do like to stroll upon the Prom, Prom, Prom!
Where the brass bands play:
Tiddely-om-pom-pom!

Bradshaw’s Guide of 1863 was the staple book on what’s what and where’s where for the mid-Victorians and it gives the modern reader a unique insight into the world of the nineteenth-century railway travellers.

Using Bradshaw’s Guide illustrated with contemporary images and seaside postcards, John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon take us on a tour of Britain’s Victorian resorts.

'Bradshaw’s Guide: Bradshaw At The Seaside' in detail

Authors: Campbell McCutcheon and John Christopher
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445643823
Format: Softback, 96 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

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 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 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

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

Bradshaw’s Guide 10: West Coast Main Line - Manchester to Glasgow

‘Seldom has the gigantic intellect of man been employed upon a work of greater utility.’ Punch, in praise of Bradshaw’s publications.

What's inside this Bradshaw Guide 'West Coast Main Line - Manchester to Glasgow'

The West Coast Main Line (WCML) – running all the way from London to Glasgow – remains one of the most important railway routes in the UK. It was built by a number of separate companies and by 1863, when Bradshaw published his famous guide, the section from Manchester was operated as far as Carlisle by the London & North Western Railway (LNWR), and from Carlisle onwards into Scotland by the Caledonian Railway.

This guide covers that final section of the WCML, including the important locations encountered along the way. In the 1930s the London Midland & Scottish (LMS) captured briefly the world speed record for a steam locomotive on this line.

Bradshaw’s guide was published in 1863, not that long after most of the railway network had been completed. It gives the reader a unique insight into the world of the Victorian railways and goes beyond the engineering aspects to record the sights to be seen in the towns and cities encountered along the way. This is volume 10 in the Bradshaw’s Guide series.

'Bradshaw’s Guide 10: West Coast Main Line - Manchester to Glasgow' in detail

Authors: Campbell McCutcheon and John Christopher
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445640419
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Great Western Railway - Cheltenham Flyer (Signed copy)

A A new railway book for boys of all ages

The story of the most famous express train in the world. Hauled by the GWR's powerful Castle Class the Cheltenham Flyer established new records for a scheduled service, covering the Swindon to Paddington run at a blistering average speed of 81.6 mph.

What's inside this signed copy of 'Great Western Railway - Cheltenham Flyer'

Originally published by the GWR in 1934 this book not only celebrates the Flyer's iconic status but also explores the workings of a steam locomotive and the day-to-day practicalities of running the railway. More than just a nostalgic railway book for 'boys of all ages', GWR Cheltenham Flyer is packed with the sort of fascinating detail not found elsewhere and is faithfully reproduced in its entirety in this special facsimile edition.

Illustrated with over 200 photographs and diagrams, it includes a new introduction plus supplement section to bring the topics bang up to date.

GWR Cheltenham Flyer is the companion volume to GWR Track Topics.

'Great Western Railway - Cheltenham Flyer' in detail

Editor: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2013
ISBN: 9781445634814
Format: Softback, 256 pages
Size: 198 x 124 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Great Western Railway - Track Topics (Signed copy)

A book of railway engineering for boys of all ages

'The most interesting of all the GWR books ...Track Topics is packed with precious nuggets of useful and insightful information, much of it from a time when the railway was making the difficult transition from its Victorian origins to the fast-changing needs of the twentieth century.’

What's inside this signed copy of 'Great Western Railway - Track Topics'

Originally published in 1935 - the year of the GWR's centenary - Track Topics is the ultimate railway book for 'boys of all ages'. Packed with the sort of fascinating detail covering the building and maintenance of the railway not found elsewhere, it is faithfully reproduced in its entirety in this special facsimile edition.

Illustrated with over 200 photographs and diagrams, it includes a new introduction by Brunel expert John Christopher plus a supplement section to bring the topics bang up to date.

Fully illustrated, it is the companion volume to GWR Cheltenham Flyer.

'Great Western Railway - Track Topics'' in detail

Editor: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2013
ISBN: 9781445623108
Format: Softback, 288 pages
Size: 198 x 124 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Railways of the Isle of Wight - 150th Anniversary (1864-2014)

'There is probably no place in the British Isles that could offer a more attractive study to one interested in railway working on a small scale than the Isle of Wight'. P. C. Allen, 1928

What's inside 'Railways of the Isle of Wight - 150th Anniversary'

At its height the Island had a network of 551 miles of line operated by a number of independent companies including the Isle of Wight Railway, the Isle of Wight Central Railway (IWCR), the Freshwater, Yarmouth & Newport Railway, as well as the joint lines of the London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) and the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR).

With the 1923 grouping of Britain’s railways these were amalgamated under the control of the Southern Railway, and following nationalisation most would be axed by Dr Beeching. Two have survived. The Isle of Wight Railway, a heritage line, and the Island Line operating with ex-London Underground stock.

P. C. Allen's 1928 account, re-published to mark the 150th anniversary, is brought up to date with many new photographs.

'Railways of the Isle of Wight - 150th Anniversary 1864-2014' in detail

Author: P. C. Allen
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445637846
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

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 First World War in Photographs 1914 - Over by Christmas

The first year of the 'war to end all wars', documented through old photographs. In 1914, after more than a decade of sabre-rattling, arms races and localised wars, mainland Europe erupted into the greatest war man had ever seen.

What's inside 'The First World War in Photographs 1914 - Over by Christmas'

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand saw the beginning of a conflict that was, according to some, going to be over by Christmas but which, in reality, lasted over five years.

With battles on all fronts, from Russia to the Falklands, West Africa to China and the Middle East, at sea, on land and by the fledgling air forces of the world, 1914's war culminated in the famous football match on the Western Front on Christmas Day, but also saw the invasion of neutral Belgium, the Battle of the Marne and the sinking of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.

This collection of photographs and other images tell the story of the world at war in a graphic and telling way. The First World War changed the art of war forever; 1914 is the first year-by-year volume in this series that documents the horrors of those times.

'The First World War in Photographs 1914 - Over by Christmas' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2012
ISBN: 9781445621814
Format: Softback, 176 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

Locomotives of the Highland Railway

Formed from the merger of the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction and the Inverness & Perth Junction Railways in 1865, the Highland Railway ran from Perth in Central Scotland north to Inverness and then on up to Wick and Thurso.

From Dingwall it ran west to Kyle of Lochalsh to serve Skye and the Western Isles. Another line ran east from Inverness to Keith, where it connected with the line to Aberdeen. Several branches were built to serve nearby towns.

What's inside 'Britain’s Pre-grouping Railways: Locomotives of the Highland Railway'

In addition to inheriting several locomotives from its constituent companies, the Highland Railway was renowned for its distinctive stable of locomotives.

Many of these were built at the company's works at Lochgorm, Inverness. Locomotive superintendents for the HR were William Barclay, William Stroudley, David Jones, Peter Drummond, F. G. Smith and Christopher Cumming.

Jones and Cumming in particular produced some outstanding designs such as the F 'Bruce', Strath, Jones Goods, the Small and Large Ben (mountain), the K 'Barney' classes, not to mention the Snaigows and the Clans. They included not only the large named trains for passenger services, but also the humble shunters.

Fully illustrated, this fascinating archive of the Highland Railway's locomotives features over 150 photographs and images.

'Locomotives of the Highland Railway' in detail

Author: John Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445633619
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - The Minor Lines (Signed copy)

In addition to his high-profile railway lines, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was engineer to a number of minor and branch lines including those from Slough to Windsor, Didcot to Oxford and from there via the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway - the OWW which was generally known as the 'Old Worse & Worse' - across to Moreton, Evesham, Pershore and up through Worcester to Wolverhampton, the Gloucester to Cheltenham line, as well as the railways to Ross and Hereford, plus additional lines in Wiltshire, Somerset and South Wales.

What's inside this guide 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - The Minor Lines'

'Seldom has the gigantic intellect of man been employed upon a work of greater utility.' Punch, in praise of Bradshaw's guide which was published in 1863, very shortly after these lines had been completed

It gives the reader a unique insight into the world of the Victorian railways and goes beyond the engineering aspects to record the sights to be seen in the towns and cities encountered along the way.

Brunel expert John Christopher presents Bradshaw's original text accompanied by contemporary images and many new colour photographs of the same journey today.

This is the third volume in this Bradshaw’s Guides series. Also available here are 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Paddington to Penzance' and 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Swindon to South Wales'.

'Bradshaw's Guide: Brunel’s Railways - The Minor Lines' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445621784
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Paddington to Penzance (Signed copy)

Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Bradshaw were close contemporaries. One became Britain's most celebrated engineer, driving his iron rails across the country from London to the tip of Cornwall, while the other brought the experience of rail travel to the masses through his timetables and guide books.

What's inside this guide 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Paddington to Penzance'

Although the Great Western Railway (GWR) had opened in 1840, the through journey to Penzance had only become possible with the completion of the Royal Albert Bridge over the Tamar at Saltash in 1859, the year of Brunel's death.

Bradshaw's guide was published very shortly after the line opened and it gives the reader a unique insight into the new world of the Victorian railways and goes beyond the engineering aspects of the line to record the sights to be seen in the towns and cities encountered along the route.

Brunel expert John Christopher presents Bradshaw's original account as a continuous journey from Paddington to Penzance. The text is accompanied by contemporary images as well as many new colour photographs of the same journey today.

This is the first volume in this Bradshaw’s Guides series. Also available here 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Swindon to South Wales' and 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - The Minor Lines'.

'Bradshaw's Guide: Brunel’s Railways - Paddington to Penzance' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2013
ISBN: 9781445621593
Format: Softback, 96 pages
Size: 234 x 165 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Swindon to South Wales (Signed copy)

Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Bradshaw were close contemporaries. One became Britain's most celebrated engineer, driving his iron rails across the country, while the other brought the experience of rail travel to the masses through his timetables and guide books.

What's inside this Bradshaw Guide 'Brunel’s Railways - Swindon to South Wales'

Although the Great Western Railway (GWR) mainline from London to Bristol had opened in 1840, the through journey across southern Wales to Neyland in Pembrokeshire - where Brunel planned to connect with his transatlantic steamships - only become possible after the opening of the Chepstow Bridge over the Wye and the completion of the line just a few years before Brunel's death.

Bradshaw's Guides were invaluable in their time and they provide the modern-day reader with a fascinating insight into the nineteenth century rail traveller's experience.

Brought to the public’s attention by Michael Portillo’s TV programmes, Bradshaw's guides provide a unique insight into the new world of the Victorian railways and goes beyond the engineering aspects of the line to record the sights in the towns and cities encountered along the route.

Acknowledged Brunel expert John Christopher presents Bradshaw's original account as a journey from Swindon up to Gloucester and across South Wales. Branch lines to Cheltenham, Ross, Hereford, Neath and Merthyr are included. The text is annotated and accompanied by contemporary images as well as many new colour photographs of the same journey today.

This is the second volume in this series. Also available here is 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - Paddington to Penzance' and 'Bradshaw on Brunel’s Railways - The Minor Lines'.

'Brunel’s Railways - Swindon to South Wales' in detail

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2014
ISBN: 9781445621777
Format: Softback, 96 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

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

British Posters Of The First World War - Signed copy

“Iconic and memorable... beautifully crafted.” (Britain at War magazine)

During the First World War the authorities emulated the simple slogans and strong graphic imagery of advertising posters to create a form of mass communication that was easily and instantly understood by the British public, in particular the mostly illiterate working class who did more than their share to feed the machinery of war.

'British Posters Of WWI', this is what's inside

For the most part the posters were calls to action, starting with the initial period of voluntary enlistment and leading on to conscription. Psychologically they worked on several levels, appealing to a sense of duty or tapping into feelings of guilt. Patriotic fervour was heightened by the appearance of the Union Jack, the King and, most enduringly perhaps, the iconic image of Lord Kitchener.

In addition, propaganda posters heaped on the pressure with scenes of German atrocities, such as the sinking of the Lusitania and the spectre of Zeppelin raiders over England. Those not directly involved in the fighting were also urged to do their part; women in particular either by sending their men to the front or by working in the munitions factories or on the land.

Even children had a part to play – ‘Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?’ Money for the war effort is another recurring theme, with war savings and bonds, and countless charities appealing for funds to care for the wounded and the war orphans.

'British Posters Of The First World War' is fully illustrated throughout

Author: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445655260
Format: Softback, 192 pages
Size: 248 x 172 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection

Organisation Todt - From Autobahns to the Atlantic Wall - Signed copy

Based on a confidential wartime report, issued by the British Government in March 1945, this in-depth dossier details the inner workings of Organisation Todt, which not only built the Reichsautobahns, but also Germany's Siegfried Line and the Atlantic Wall. Founded by the charismatic Fritz Todt, the OT was responsible for the construction of all of the major military works across Europe - from the Siegfried Line and Atlantic Wall, to the U-Boat pens and V1 and V2 weapon sites.

What to expect from 'Building the Third Reich - Organisation Todt'

When Fritz Todt died in a flying accident in 1942 he was succeeded by Hitler's chief architect, Albert Speer, who was also appointed as Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production. Although the Organisation Todt was not a military organization as such, it literally underpinned the Nazis' stranglehold on the occupied territories.

Not just through the fortifications but also through the systematic and highly controversial use of enforced labour drawn from the populations of the vanquished countries. At its peak the Organisation Todt consisted of a force of almost two million men and women, and it is through the depth of detail revealed in this handbook that we discover the largely untold human story.

'Organisation Todt - From Autobahns to the Atlantic Wall' in detail

Editor: John Christopher (signed)
Publisher: Amberley Publishing 2015
ISBN: 9781445638560
Format: Softback, 278 pages
Size: 248 x 172 mm
Condition: New

Part of the Droids Books Collection