Download or read book Horatio Nelson pocket GIANTS written by Peter Warwick and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is Nelson a hero? Because he was a captain before he was 21, a man who shaped the course of history from the decks of his ships, hailed as a saviour of the nation, a hero killed in action at the moment of his greatest victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and immortalized ever since. What lies beneath the romantic legend of Horatio Nelson? What did he do before he became famous? Why did he fall from grace twice? Did he really put a telescope to his blind eye? Why did Victory's signal lieutenant change his 'England expects . . . .' signal at Trafalgar? What made his leadership special? This book traces Nelson's spectacular and often controversial career from a Norfolk parson's son who entered the Royal Navy at the age of twelve, through his youth as a difficult and ambitious naval subordinate, his rise to admiral and celebrity, his fighting career and his outstanding victories at the battles of the Nile, Copenhagen and ultimately Trafalgar.
Download or read book Wellington pocket GIANTS written by Gary Sheffield and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2017-07-17 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wellington is a giant because he was one of the greatest military commanders in British history, an important figure in the emergence of Britain as a great imperial power, a man who dominated British society and politics for 35 years. He was the only one of Napoleon's contemporaries who can be mentioned in the same breath as a general - a master of logistics, politics and coalition warfare as well as strategy, operations and tactics. The book's focus is on Wellington's military career, and it looks at all of these aspects, placing them in the context of the military and political developments of the time. It explores Wellington's personality – a key to understanding his success - and briefly examines his post-Waterloo career as a politician. It concludes that Wellington was not only a military genius, but an icon whose fame endures to our own time.
Download or read book Jesus pocket GIANTS written by Ed Kessler and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2016-11-02 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is Jesus a giant? Because he was the founder of Christianity, the largest religion in the world with 2 billion adherents; because Christianity is one of the five great religions of the world, with followers in every country on the planet and a history stretching back two thousand years; because there remains great interest in the teaching of Jesus, his personality and his life. The origins of a great religion which has filled so immense a place in the history of the world must surely be of interest to everyone.
Download or read book George Best written by Jim White and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2017-03-02 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On Sunday 5 October 2014, the 75,000 strong crowd at Old Trafford for Manchester United’s game against Everton joined in with an extended version of a chant which echoed around the stadium. ‘We all live in a Georgie Best world,’ it went. Eleven years after his death, forty years after he walked out of the club for the last time as a player, Best remains a Giant – extraordinary given that his star shone for such a brief time. He was at the top of the game for no more than half a dozen years. How did he do it?
Download or read book John Lennon pocket GIANTS written by Robert Webb and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2016-07-07 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Lennon is a giant of popular music and culture. As one-quarter of the Beatles, he was in the vanguard of music, art, fashion and popular culture during the sixties. His music, humour and outspoken calls for peace inspired a generation. He stands as an iconic figure for those who lived through the sixties and seventies, as well as for those who grew up long after his untimely death in 1980. Above all, Lennon was one of the twentieth century's greatest and most important songwriters. Songs he wrote with Paul McCartney, such as 'She Loves You' and 'A Day in the Life', define an era. Others he wrote alone, such as 'God', 'Help!' and 'Revolution', betray an often complex, contradictory and troubled character. Lennon was never one to hide his love away, nor his anger, nor his convictions. In 2000 his anthem 'Imagine' was voted the song of the millennium.
Download or read book Sigmund Freud pocket GIANTS written by Alistair Ross and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2016-07-07 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'This is a very, very smart book. It makes Freud accessible, interesting and relevant.' - Ruby Wax Sigmund Freud is rightly called the godfather of psychoanalysis. He forever changed the way we view ourselves and developed our understanding of human nature. His concepts have become part of our psychological vocabulary: unconscious thoughts and feelings, conflict, the meaning of dreams, the sensuality of childhood. He dared to try new methods and treatments. Everyone knows the term Freudian slip and has a basic understanding of his theories, however, Freud gave us a great deal more. From education to critical theory he changed the way we think. His ideas and clinical practices offer psychological insights that bring help and healing. Freud's work has suffused contemporary Western thought and popular culture. He is the epitome of a pocket GIANT.
Download or read book Hannibal and Scipio pocket GIANTS written by Greg Fisher and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2016-03-07 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 218, Hannibal Barca, desperate to avenge the defeat of Carthage in the First Punic War, launched an ambitious ground invasion of Italy. With just a small force, he crossed the Alps – a feat reckoned to be impossible – and pitted his polyglot army against Rome’s elite citizen infantry. At Cannae, in 216, Hannibal destroyed an 80,000-strong Roman force in one afternoon, delivering a blow unequalled in Roman history for half a millennium to come.The Romans had no answer to Hannibal until the young Scipio volunteered to take over Rome’s armies in Spain, which were close to defeat, and left leaderless by the death of Scipio’s own father and uncle. In the decade which followed, Scipio turned Rome’s desperate fortunes into a stunning victory over Carthage. The portrait of Hannibal and Scipio takes the reader through one of the greatest military campaigns in history, driven by two remarkable and fascinating men.
Download or read book Queen Elizabeth II pocket GIANTS written by Victoria Arbiter and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2016-03-07 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At age 25, Elizabeth II became Britain's 40th monarch and vowed to dedicate her life to service and duty on behalf of her country. She is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states, head of the 53 member Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and head of the armed forces. Most notably, however, on September 9th, 2015, she became the longest reigning monarch in British history. She has consistently adapted in order to remain relevant, while devotedly upholding the age-old traditions of the monarchy. Although there have only been six British female monarchs, it cannot be argued that some of the most enlightened times in history have occurred during periods of queenship. Elizabeth I led the country through the Golden Age and Victoria ushered in the Industrial Revolution, but it is Elizabeth II who will leave the most illustrious and progressive legacy of all.
Download or read book Isaac Newton pocket GIANTS written by Dr Andrew May and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2015-03-02 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Isaac Newton had an extraordinary idea. He believed the physical universe and everything in it could be described in exact detail using mathematical relationships. He formulated a law of gravity that explained why objects fall downwards, how the moon causes the tides, and why planets and comets orbit the sun. While Newton's work has been added to over the years, his basic approach remains at the heart of the scientific worldview. Yet Newton's own had little in common with that of a modern scientist. He believed the universe was created to a precise and rational design – a design that was fully understood by the earliest people. Over time this knowledge was lost, and Newton considered it his life's work to rediscover it, whether through applied mathematics or a painstaking study of the Bible and other ancient texts. In chasing his impossible goal, Newton managed to contribute more to our understanding of the universe than anyone else in history. Andrew May went to the same Cambridge college, Trinity, as Sir Isaac Newton. After gaining his first degree in Natural Sciences he went on to do a PhD in astrophysics at Manchester University. This was on the subject of galactic dynamics, and the only physics he needed to know he was a Newtonian. He continued as a postdoc in the same area for four years, before moving into the more lucrative if shadowy world of defence science. He worked first in private industry, then in the Civil Service and then in private industry again, for a total of 24 years. He now earns his living as a freelance writer and defence consultant.
Download or read book Henry V pocket GIANTS written by A.J. Pollard and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-02-03 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Henry V is the best-known military hero in English history: better known than Marlborough or Wellington, or his grandfather, Edward III. He enjoyed more success against the French than any of them, coming tantalisingly close to conquering that vast country and imposing an English dynasty; this in a reign of just nine years, in only seven of which he was at war. Even before he died the heroic myth, later enshrined by Shakespeare, was being created. His victories have become the touchstone of English nationalism, English militarism and English imperialism. For good or ill, Henry V now signifies the one-time 'Greatness of England'. He was a military genius, yet his megalomania was not always in the best interests of his own kingdom, let alone the people of France who suffered at his hands. Behind the carefully constructed nationalist myth was a cold, calculating, ruthless ruler who, before his early death, revealed ominous tyrannical tendencies.
Download or read book Alfred the Great pocket GIANTS written by Barbara Yorke and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Alfred is one of the most remarkable rulers of any time or place. This clear, readable and insightful book shows why.' - Michael Wood Why is Alfred the Great? A simple answer is that he has been seen as a man who saved England, invented English identity and pioneered English as a written language. He is the first Englishman for whom a biography survives so that we know more about Alfred and his ideals than we do for most people who lived over a thousand years ago. A slightly longer answer would say that things are a bit more complicated, and that one reason Alfred seems to be so 'great' was that he made sure we were told that he was. To get the measure of Alfred we need to look at what he actually managed to achieve. Can we resurrect the 'real' King Alfred? There may be limits, but even if we have to part company with some of the Victorian adulation, we are still left with a pretty impressive and surprising person. Barbara Yorke has recently retired from the University of Winchester where she worked in the History Department for many years, ultimately as Professor of Early Medieval History. She is now a Professor Emerita there, and also an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, University of London where she has advised on a number of projects. She has written extensively on the early middle ages in books and academic papers, as well as more popular works such as History Today and BBC History magazine (including on King Alfred). She has appeared on various radio and television programmes on Anglo-Saxon topics. In 2008 she curated an exhibition on King Alfred in the Discovery Centre, Winchester.
Download or read book Horatio Nelson pocket GIANTS written by Peter Warwick and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is Nelson a hero? Because he was a captain before he was 21, a man who shaped the course of history from the decks of his ships, hailed as a saviour of the nation, a hero killed in action at the moment of his greatest victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and immortalized ever since. What lies beneath the romantic legend of Horatio Nelson? What did he do before he became famous? Why did he fall from grace twice? Did he really put a telescope to his blind eye? Why did Victory’s signal lieutenant change his ‘England expects . . . .’ signal at Trafalgar? What made his leadership special? This book traces Nelson’s spectacular and often controversial career from a Norfolk parson’s son who entered the Royal Navy at the age of twelve, through his youth as a difficult and ambitious naval subordinate, his rise to admiral and celebrity, his fighting career and his outstanding victories at the battles of the Nile, Copenhagen and ultimately Trafalgar.
Download or read book Nelson s Lost Jewel written by Martyn Downer and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2017-10-20 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Admiral Lord Nelson's diamond Chelengk is one of the most famous and iconic jewels in British history. Presented to Nelson by the Sultan Selim III of Turkey after the Battle of the Nile in 1798, the jewel had thirteen diamond rays to represent the French ships captured or destroyed at the action. A central diamond star on the jewel was powered by clockwork to rotate in wear. Nelson wore the Chelengk on his hat like a turban jewel, sparking a fashion craze for similar jewels in England. The jewel became his trademark to be endlessly copied in portraits and busts to this day. After Trafalgar, the Chelengk was inherited by Nelson's family and worn at the Court of Queen Victoria. Sold at auction in 1895 it eventually found its way to the newly opened National Maritime Museum in Greenwich where it was a star exhibit. In 1951 the jewel was stolen in a daring raid by an infamous cat-burglar and lost forever. For the first time, Martyn Downer tells the extraordinary true story of the Chelengk: from its gift to Nelson by the Sultan of Turkey to its tragic post-war theft, charting the jewel's journey through history and forging sparkling new and intimate portraits of Nelson, of his friends and rivals, and of the woman he loved.
Download or read book HMS Pickle written by Peter Hore and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The curiously named HMS Pickle was the second-smallest British ship in Nelson’s fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. She acquired enduring fame, however, as the ship that carried Lord Collingwood’s dispatch announcing the death, in the midst of battle, of Nelson. A topsail schooner and deemed too small to take part in the line of battle, Pickle and ships like it were essential in the transmission of communication. Relaying messages between admiral and Admiralty, the rapid movement of these ships pioneered an early worldwide web of information that helped secure a British victory over Napoleon. In this revised and updated edition, Captain Peter Hore describes the Pickle’s beginnings as a civilian vessel, her arming for naval use and the pivotal role she played in Admiral Cornwallis’s inshore squadron keeping watch over the French and Spanish. This full and captivating history narrates a colourful story of one small ship and the courage and resolution of her determined crew.
Download or read book Pope John Paul II pocket GIANTS written by Hugh Costello and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-02-03 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world was stunned when little-known Karol Wojtyła became the first non-Italian pope for 450 years. As Pope John Paul II, he continued to surprise, directly confronting Communist regimes, flying hundreds of thousands of miles to meet the faithful, and building bridges with other faiths. John Paul II became a bête noire in the eyes of liberals for his staunch refusal to accept contraception or the ordination of women. But for others he was a Churchillian figure who took on the forces of godlessness and moral relativism. He gained a stature that left secular statesmen in his shadow. Love him or loathe him, few could deny that he was a man of rare courage. He survived two assassination attempts, fought off cancer and waged a very public battle with Parkinson's disease. Seven years after his death he continues to exert a hold over the Church and to inspire an almost cult-like devotion.
Download or read book Henry Ford pocket GIANTS written by David Long and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-08-04 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is Henry Ford a giant? Because he put the world on wheels. Henry Ford did not invent the motor car, nor for all the claims did he invent the assembly line or mass production. But more than anyone before or since he is remembered as the man who almost singlehandedly took an expensive contraption of doubtful utility and recast it as a machine which in a real and profound sense changed the world forever. In an industry with many giants –André Citroen, Louis Renault and Giovanni Agnelli of Fiat – Henry Ford stands tallest as the greatest ever motor mogul. A Michigan farmer’s son who became a dollar billionaire, a ruthlessly single-minded autocrat who became a folk hero, a pacifist who went on to inspire Adolf Hitler - he was a boss who paid his workers twice as much as his competitors yet waged an unrelenting war on unions and badly abused the power he had worked so hard to attain.David Long has been an author and journalist for thirty years, and has regularly appeared in The Times, Sunday Times and many magazines, here and abroad. He is a celebrated author of over twenty titles and has ghostwritten many more.
Download or read book Giuseppe Verdi pocket GIANTS written by Daniel Snowman and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-02-03 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) was the Shakespeare of opera, the composer of Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Aida and Otello. The chorus of Hebrew slaves from Nabucco (1842) is regarded in Italy as virtually an alternative national anthem – and the great tragedian rounded off his career fifty years later with a rousing comedy, Falstaff.When Verdi was born, much of northern Italy was under Napoleonic rule, and Verdi grew up dreaming of a time when the peninsula might be governed by Italians. When this was achieved, in 1861, he became a deputy in the first all-Italian parliament.While in his 20s, Verdi lost his two children and then his wife (many Verdi operas feature poignant parent-child relationships). Later, he retired, with his second wife, to his beloved farmlands, refusing for long stretches to return to composition. Verdi died in January 1901, universally mourned as the supreme embodiment of the nation he had helped create.DANIEL SNOWMAN was born in London, educated at Cambridge and Cornell and at 24 became a Lecturer at the University of Sussex, going on to become BBC Radio’s Chief Producer, Features. Since 2004 has held a Senior Research Fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research (University of London). Recent books include a study of the cultural impact of the ‘Hitler Emigrés’, a collection of critical essays on the work of today's leading historians and The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera, reviewed by Tim Blanning as ‘A mighty achievement, by far and away the best history of opera available’.
