Andrew Summers – författare

From the Romans to the Space Shuttle and Nuclear power. The remarkable history of Essex, in verse, in prose and illustration. Interesting facts given and unusual events explained. Find out why Essex has played such a pivotal role in the development of British History. The one and only Essex Hundred

The 'Histories' follows on from the Essex Hundred and has been inspired by the ancient land system of hundreds. It delves into one hundred events or personalities from 2,000 years of the county's history. This second edition which has been reprinted 16 times with updates explores the possibility that Shakespeare may actually have been an Essex boy and examines myths about dragon slaying in the north of Essex. Beginning with the sacking of Roman Colchester by Boadicea and travelling through time to Ford of Dagenham's modern day windmills, the diversity of Essex as well as its pivotal role in the nation's development are brought to life and presented in an informative and entertaining manner. Essex is truly a county of contrasts. www.essex100.com

The Roman occupation of Britain lasted over 350 years. Seventeen years after the Romans arrived in force in AD43, Queen Boudica led an uprising which resulted in the destruction of Colchester, London and St Albans. The rebellion was short lived and resulted in a harsh crackdown. Yet, in later years Roman rule was interrupted by several uprisings and incursions by the 'natives'. Two hundred years after Boudica's death part of the occupying Roman Army mutinied. One hundred years later the Roman Commander, Marcus Aurelius Carausius, proclaimed himself Emperor of an independent Britain. However, the insurrections were supressed, the mutiny put down, the usurper overthrown and Roman rule returned to more or less normal. Despite all the upheavals in the British Isles during Rome's long tenure, we find it is only Boudica who is especially remembered. The Riddle of Boudica explores the 'facts' of the rebellion as known and examines the resultant heritage, legacy and mythology grown up around it and poses an intriguing What if? question.Reprinted 2024

Battlefield Essex is the eighth book on the county we have produced in the Essex Hundred series and we are pleased to say most are still in print and available from book shops or cyber retailers.Although part of the title is called Battlefield, it is not a military reference book. In the last 2,000 years there have been a number of bloody battles on Essex soil, but there too have been several conflicts that although sometimes violent didn't involve the loss of life. In many cases these conflicts have been hyped in contemporary media as a 'battles' and the term has stuck. The prime example of this was the long running dispute in the 1920s in Thaxted in what was known the 'Battle of the Flags'. To our knowledge although there was damage to property, no one was killed or even seriously injured during this battle. Apart from the battles, Essex has been a front line county in England since the time of the Saxons and the Viking raiders 1,500 years ago, so accordingly it is proper to examine the various defences put in place to thwart potential invaders and to look at whether these forts and other defensive measures set up were much of a deterrent.Fortunately in recent times what might be called 'foreign' invaders have never set foot in Essex Nevertheless the county, with its munitions factories, arms development and weapons testing facilities, has played a major part in defence of the realm during the course of both World Wars, as well as suffering from the effects of enemy bombings.As the tide of the World War II swung in favour of the allies, Essex became a launching pad to strike the enemy. The US Air Force arrived in strength and stately homes were requisitioned by the military to train clandestine forces for missions in occupied Europe. Following the end of World War II, (a hot war), a cold war commenced almost immediately and a site near Ongar became a key installation for planning the aftermath of a nuclear strike. In writing this book it was never our intention to create an academic reference work. In Battlefield Essex as in our other Essex Hundred titles, we have done our best to record some of the memorable events, people and places that have played a role in the development of the county of Essex.

This is a book with a difference. It is dedicated to the creativity of two cartoonists, Fred Naughten and Stan Harvey who worked for the Standard Newspaper Group in the 1930s. Cartoons are one of the most popular staples of the printed newspaper. The cartoonists genius lies not just with their drawing skills but also in their ability to bring together both contemporary and historical events in a single image. Such cartoons make us smile, sometimes laugh out loud or just reflect, no matter how grim the news of the days is.The cartoon images in the book were created in the 1930s. Despite high unemployment and war clouds hovering over Europe and the far East, the 1930s were nevertheless a of optimism. The motor car was becoming ever more popular as were all types of consumer goods such as the 'must have' wireless in the home. Before television it was the golden age of cinema, and for good or bad, there was no internet, e-mail or social media.ONCE UPON A TIME IN SOUTHEND (and district) shows a selection of cartoons beginning in January 1936 and spanning four years until December 1939. The foresight of the cartoonists is truly amazing as although the cartoons were created some 90 years ago many would not be out of place today all be it with minor refinements.In the book for each image the original caption is shown but with added extra notes to enhance any historical aspect of the drawing.