Karen Farrington – författare

Lifeboats occupy a particular place in people’s hearts as unpaid volunteers regularly take to their boats often in extremely adverse conditions to rescue others from the sea.The stories that go with lifeboats and their crews are those of courage, sacrifice, community and our coastline. No matter if one is on holiday by the coast, or living inland, we are always aware of the work these brave crews do, and also aware of the tremendous affection the RNLI has throughout the whole of the British Isles. An island race appreciates those who risk their lives continually to help those endangered at sea.May-Day! May-Day! showcases the work, over many years, that the RNLI crews have undertaken, using the technology and training of their time to go out into dangerous waters to rescue people. It contains a great deal of useful/technical information to give the reader all the background information to the science of saving lives at sea.The RNLI is close to the hearts of the British public, who want to know more about their work today, but also historically how they have evolved. With archive material, first-person interviews of station commanders, rescuers, etc. plus scientific illustrations and maps, this book will be the first to bring together the history and technology, people and crews, triumphs and disasters of the RNLI together in one book.

The perfect companion to Bradshaw’s guide book. Showcasing in colour all that is great about Bradshaw’s guide.Great British Railway Journeys has been a hugely successful TV programme, which is now into its third series on BBC2. Much as Michael Palin built up a dedicated fan base for travel around the globe, so Michael Portillo has done likewise for lovers of trains in his explorations the length and breadth of the United Kingdom from the window of a train seat.Both charming and insightful, Michael again uses Bradshaw’s guides, and now undertakes five unique journeys that were constructed by the Victorians from 1830-1900. Across 25 episodes he delves into this fascinating and colourful period of our history, and show how the modern British landscape was created from this Victorian legacy. From Windsor to Weymouth, Great Yarmouth to London, Oxford to Milford Haven, Berwick to Barrow, and finally Dublin to Belfast – Michael will go back in time to showcase areas of outstanding Victorian engineering and design across Queen Victoria’s dominions. Key parts of the programme and tie-in book will showcase how the world's very first fixed-track train in Merthyr Tydfil operated; how the world's first electric train service ran in Southend to its famous pier; and he also celebrates the wide variety of lines that opened up trade and mobility to the Victorian classes.Travelling on a variety of existing, and in some cases restored, Victorian train lines, he meets their passionate supporters who lovingly work on them, and also looks at the modern landscape to tell the story of how each area was shaped by their Victorian forebears. Lavishly produced, this will once again be a 'must have' purchase for all train lovers, as well as those who simply want to find out their heritage and what is now available to view and travel upon in the 21st century to transport them back in time.

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The line between Great Yarmouth to London brought holidaymakers flocking to the coast and transported herrings, fresh vegetables and milk into London. Starting in Great Yarmouth, Michael Portillo’s journey takes him through the coastal resorts of Southwold and Southend via innovative swing bridges at Reedham and Yare, and towards the capital itself, the scene of frenzied construction of railway terminals and underground lines during the Victorian era. He also learns about the first ever railway murder, and discovers the history of Cleopatra’s Needle.Places visited: Great Yarmouth, Reedham, Lowestoft, Southwold, Westerfield, Felixstowe, Essex, Colchester, Chelmsford, Clifftown, Southend, Stratford, London.This individual journey is one of a series taken from the bestselling books Great British Railway Journeys and Great Victorian Railway Journeys that accompany the highly successful BBC Two series. Michael Portillo follows the famous George Bradshaw railway guides in railway journeys across the length and breadth of the country, discovering spectacular scenery and stunning architecture and exploring local history and industry.

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.Beginning with the grandeur of Oxford, Michael Portillo travels through the country of Shakespeare and Elgar and discovers the delights of Oxford sausages and Worcester sauce, the beauties of Malvern and its spa and the craft of glove-making. The journey continues into Wales, where the landscape is soon dominated by the development of the mining, steel and shipping industries, which in turn gave rise to the trade union movement and the birth of the Labour Party.Places visited: Oxford, Stratford, Worcester, Malvern, Hereford, Abergavenny, South Wales, Cardiff, Abercynon, Barry Island, Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenavon, Haverfordwest, St David’s, Milford Haven.This individual journey is one of a series taken from the bestselling books Great British Railway Journeys and Great Victorian Railway Journeys that accompany the highly successful BBC Two series. Michael Portillo follows the famous George Bradshaw railway guides in railway journeys across the length and breadth of the country, discovering spectacular scenery and stunning architecture and exploring local history and industry.

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.Although not initially a fan of rail travel, Queen Victoria was soon converted and pronounced herself `quite charmed with it’, and railway companies provided sumptuous royal carriages for her use. The railway route from Windsor to Weymouth transported her to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, her favourite royal residence. Michael Portillo also discovers one of Brunel’s most graceful bridges at Maidenhead, biscuit-making, watercress farming, the ancient glories of Winchester and the popular resorts of Bournemouth and Weymouth.Places visited: Windsor, Slough, Maidenhead, Reading, Basingstoke, Hampshire, London, Eastleigh, Isle of Wight, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Portland.This individual journey is one of a series taken from the bestselling books Great British Railway Journeys and Great Victorian Railway Journeys that accompany the highly successful BBC Two series. Michael Portillo follows the famous George Bradshaw railway guides in railway journeys across the length and breadth of the country, discovering spectacular scenery and stunning architecture and exploring local history and industry.

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.Robert Stephenson’s stunning Royal Border Bridge at Berwick is the starting point for this journey, which also features his High Level Bridge at Newcastle. As the line ploughs through heather and bracken from Newcastle to Carlisle, Michael Portillo learns about the railway speculation which gripped the country in the Victorian Era, with disastrous results for many. Further along the route is Carnforth station, famous for its appearance in Brief Encounter, and the journey ends in the Isle of Man with the spectacular scenery of the Snaefell Mountain Railway.Places visited: Berwick, Newcastle, Stockton, Darlington, Carlisle, Furness, Morecambe Bay, Carnforth, Lancaster, Isle of Man.This individual journey is one of a series taken from the bestselling books Great British Railway Journeys and Great Victorian Railway Journeys that accompany the highly successful BBC Two series. Michael Portillo follows the famous George Bradshaw railway guides in railway journeys across the length and breadth of the country, discovering spectacular scenery and stunning architecture and exploring local history and industry.

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The late nineteenth century brought railway fever to Ireland, and Victorian travellers were keen to explore a country rich in myth and mystery. Starting in the beautiful city of Dublin, Michael Portillo travels to the fishing port of Balbriggan, crosses the spectacular Boyne viaduct, and learns about the tragic Armagh rail disaster en route to Belfast, home of the Irish shipbuilding industry. The journey continues to the Antrim coast, where Victorian tourists visited the newly-created Gobbins Path and the ancient Giant’s Causeway, and ends with the Georgian elegance of Londonderry.Places visited: Dublin, Wexford, Bray, Wicklow, Avoca, Belfast, Drogheda, Kingstown, Balbriggan, Armagh, Downpatrick, Antrim, Derry.This individual journey is one of a series taken from the bestselling books Great British Railway Journeys and Great Victorian Railway Journeys that accompany the highly successful BBC Two series. Michael Portillo follows the famous George Bradshaw railway guides in railway journeys across the length and breadth of the country, discovering spectacular scenery and stunning architecture and exploring local history and industry.

The inspiring, uplifting true story of a group of London girls dispatched to a children's home in rural England during the Blitz, and meet the formidable nurse and Lady in Waiting who transformed their lives forever . . .'A heartwarming story of hope and kindness' Daily Express'An engaging war-time tale. These evocative first-person memories conjure a vivid picture of 1940s Britain, leaving a lasting impression' Lucy Fisher__________Bombs were falling all over Britain . . .For one young Londoner in a children's home - Queenie Clapton - it might have been the end of the world. Yet swiftly evacuated Queenie, along with the other children taken up by the Waifs and Strays Society, escaped the shattered streets.Instead, she found herself invited into the stately home of Dorothy Peyton, a recently widowed Lady in Waiting. There, under the formidable guidance of Matron Bailey, Queenie discovered a new world: birdsong, knitting circles and taking tea with royalty.In such unfamiliar, unlikely surroundings, might Queenie and the other waifs and strays have finally found somewhere to call home?This is the inspiring true story of that remarkable bond forged in times of trouble, and the woman at the heart of it all.__________'A well-documented, imaginatively empathetic account' The Times Literary Supplement'Full of fascinating detail, affectionately told, The Angels of Englemere Wood is by turns a humbling, touching, astonishing and ultimately uplifting read' Joanna Toye'An exquisite, meticulously researched account of what happened to Britain's disadvantaged children and all who touched their lives when war came. Gentle, fascinating, nostalgic - I loved being in the company of this beautiful humane book' Tessa Dunlop'A winning blend of nostalgic personal narratives with a detailed social history of World War Two. I guarantee you'll be charmed by every one of the cast of waifs and strays, as well as by the "Angels" who took care of them' Duncan Barrett

The inspiring, uplifting true story of a group of London girls dispatched to a children's home in rural England during the Blitz, and meet the formidable nurse and Lady in Waiting who transformed their lives forever . . .'A heartwarming story of hope and kindness' Daily Express'An engaging war-time tale. These evocative first-person memories conjure a vivid picture of 1940s Britain, leaving a lasting impression' Lucy Fisher__________Bombs were falling all over Britain . . .For one young Londoner in a children's home - Queenie Clapton - it might have been the end of the world. Yet swiftly evacuated Queenie, along with the other children taken up by the Waifs and Strays Society, escaped the shattered streets.Instead, she found herself invited into the stately home of Dorothy Peyton, a recently widowed Lady in Waiting. There, under the formidable guidance of Matron Bailey, Queenie discovered a new world: birdsong, knitting circles and taking tea with royalty.In such unfamiliar, unlikely surroundings, might Queenie and the other waifs and strays have finally found somewhere to call home?This is the inspiring true story of that remarkable bond forged in times of trouble, and the woman at the heart of it all.__________'A well-documented, imaginatively empathetic account' The Times Literary Supplement'Full of fascinating detail, affectionately told, The Angels of Englemere Wood is by turns a humbling, touching, astonishing and ultimately uplifting read' Joanna Toye'An exquisite, meticulously researched account of what happened to Britain's disadvantaged children and all who touched their lives when war came. Gentle, fascinating, nostalgic - I loved being in the company of this beautiful humane book' Tessa Dunlop'A winning blend of nostalgic personal narratives with a detailed social history of World War Two. I guarantee you'll be charmed by every one of the cast of waifs and strays, as well as by the "Angels" who took care of them' Duncan Barrett

America’s only self-declared emperor, the "old soldier" who wouldn’t die, the greatest carpetbagger — these are just a few of the fanciful real-life characters profiled in this inexhaustible trivia book. The author covers a happily wide range of subjects, from "the greatest slot machine cheat" who defied odds of 230,000 to 1, to the comic confusion of "US" with "Uncle Sam," to the "American town names to give you the creepy crawlies" like Black Gnat, Kentucky. Meticulously fact-checked, this book brings the minutiae of a culture and country into sharp focus. The perfect road-trip companion, Everything You Didn''t Need to Know About the USA is crammed with weird and wacky facts about every state in the union.

For some people sex is a daily necessity, for others a once-a-year thing. Wether you''re a foot fetishist or a cyber-sex maniac, regardless of wether gentlemen prefer blondes or women like a man in uniform, one thing is for sure: sex is the hottest subject on the planet. In this comprehensive study of sexual attitudes through the ages, from the scanty cavortings of Adam and Eve to Ancient Grecian and Roman orgies and the Kama Sutra of the East, no taboo is left unchallenged as Karen Farrington explores the culture surrounding modern sexual behaviour and sex addiction in its healthy and not-so- healthy guises. A must-read for all romantics, puritans and free-lovers, This is Sex breaks down the boundaries of what is perceived as tasteless and tells it like it is.

Based on the popular Radio 4 series, Great Lives highlights some of the world's most fascinating and influential characters. Chosen by the show's guests, each biography reveals the life and times of artists, sportsmen, statesmen, authors, monarchs, actors, musicians and scientists, showing why they inspire, what they achieved and how they have influenced the world at large. Discover the intriguing lives of Clement Attlee and Henri Matisse, King Alfred and Samuel Johnson, Tommy Cooper and Robert Kennedy, Robin Day and Edith Wharton, along with many more. From the famous to the obscure, the historical to the contemporary, each biography provides an insight into the character's personality, why they were driven to achieve so much, and separates fact from fiction. With a foreword by the show's presenter, Matthew Parris, Great Lives is an ideal gift for history and biography enthusiasts, and for fans of the Radio 4 series.

The Archers, like life, is made of moments: marriages and births, loves and losses, triumphs and disasters. It has been the soundtrack of our lives for over six decades, from stooking corn with Dan Archer in the 1950s to the tragic death of Nigel Pargetter in 2011.We know the characters of Ambridge – from much-loved Phil and Jill Archer and the irrepressible Grundys to wayward Brian Aldridge – like we know close friends. This book is their tribute.The Ambridge Chronicles relives some of the defining moments in The Archers history, delving into the rich archive of its scripts, to celebrate the highs and lows that have made the world’s longest running radio serial so treasured.

‘Beautiful, fun, a great book… the best book ever written!’ - Chris Evans‘It is a brilliant book, a toolkit, packed full of information – even I learnt a few new things!’ - Chris Packham Explore the world outside your window.For 13 years the BBC's Springwatch and its sister programmes, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, have been bringing the best of Britain’s wildlife into our homes. Now Springwatch: The 2019 Almanac offers the perfect guide for anyone looking to get out and explore the wonders of nature just outside their back door. Taking you month by month through the coming year, the almanac combines compelling stories with practical guidance that will inspire anyone to start exploring. It has all the information you need to discover the natural wonders around you, from how to identify animal tracks and bird nests to the best time to witness starling murmurations and mayflies hatching. Complete with monthly daylight and rainfall charts and beautifully illustrated with black and white line drawings, The Springwatch Almanac is the ideal companion for every nature lover.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL COMPANION TO THE HIT BBC SERIESBBC’s The Repair Shop is a place where Britain’s most skilled and caring craftspeople rescue and resurrect items that owners thought were beyond saving. Their shared love of craft has helped hundreds of people recover and relive cherished memories, and inspired millions to rediscover their own prized possessions. The skill required to properly restore those items may be beyond most of us, but there are small things we can all do to care for the items we love the most. How do you replenish the stuffing in your child’s beloved, tatty teddy bear, for instance? Or remove a water mark left on your wooden table? What’s the best way to prevent your leather from cracking?Direct from the Repair Shop's 'Workshop of Dreams', this ‘make do and mend’ guide collects advice and stories from each of the show’s experts, to help you understand and care for those aging treasures and heirlooms around your house or gathering dust in the garage. Whether it’s wood, ceramics, leather or silverware, you will get to know your materials, tools and terms from Britain’s best, as the Repair Shop experts share their tips on restoring and conserving, reveal their favourite tools, and provide a series of small, manageable projects that help tackle the most common problems that occur in their given medium. Their book, like the show it accompanies, with help you safeguard your sentimental legacy for generations to come.

Five Women. Five families’ search for justice. All Sarah Chesham wanted was to survive, at a time when crops were poor and money was tight. By the time she died she was branded a merciless child killer.All Emily Swann wanted was the love of a man who wouldn’t abuse her. By the time she died she was depicted as a vengeful, drunken hussy. All Edith Thompson wanted was a romance with a man who adored her. By the time she died she was seen as a scheming and manipulative adulteress.All Louie Calvert wanted was to be heard. Yet when she died she slipped almost immediately into the shadows, like thousands of other women like her. All Charlotte Bryant wanted was a distraction from a dreary life. By the time she died she was deemed a seductress and an arch poisoner.No one wants to believe that their mother, sister or daughter is capable of murder. When a woman is charged with a killing, we judge more harshly and punish more severely than when a man does the same.Murder, Mystery and My Family explores five historical true-crime tales from the hit BBC series, each with a woman at the heart of the story, from a case of ‘poison panic’ in the 19th century to a post-war murder that gripped the nation. Tales of infidelity and greed, corruption and deceit run throughout – but was justice served for all? Descendants of those convicted revisit each case in search of answers.Based on extensive research, including original court records and interviews with descendants, Murder, Mystery and My Family delves deeper into each crime, while also looking at our changing attitudes to women who have found themselves at the centre of our darkest dramas.

We all have treasures hidden away in the attic, well-loved and well-worn belongings that have been passed down from generation to generation. They may be damaged or no longer working, but we can't bear to part with them. The expert craftspeople of hit BBC series The Repair Shop are dedicated to restoring and conserving these heirlooms. They know that the true worth of these possessions doesn't lie in their monetary value, but in the memories they hold and the stories they tell.In this fascinating book, you'll step inside The Repair Shop's Workshop of Dreams to explore some of the most moving family stories from the hit BBC series. From a glamorous sequinned dress that belonged to a popular travelling circus performer to a pump organ that was brought from Jamaica by a member of the Windrush generation, each family item is brought vividly to life - and lovingly restored by the team of Repair Shop experts who also contribute to these expanded stories. With a foreword by Jay Blades, Tales from the Workshop of Dreams is a heartfelt love letter to our collective past, and a fascinating slice of social history.This book features items fixed by Repair Shop experts Steve Fletcher, Will Kirk, Lucia Scalisi, Suzie Fletcher, Kirsten Ramsay, Dominic Chinea, Brenton West, Tim Gunn, Sara Dennis, Chris Shaw, Matt Nickels, Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell. With great care and attention to detail, the Repair Shop team resurrect priceless pieces of family history and breathe new life into the stories they hold.

Bargain Hunt is a British institution, entertaining audiences for over 20 years, and encouraging us to look for diamonds in the rough at antique fairs and shops across the country. A Bargain Hunt is more than just a quest for cash, though - from traveller's trunks and tea caddies to walking canes, coins and quirky costumes, each of the items chosen has their own story to tell, forming a small part of our collective social history.The Bargain Hunt Spotter's Guide to Antiques is packed with essential information from the Bargain Hunt experts on identifying quality across a range of antiques. From makers' marks and tell-tale historical styles to details in foils and finials, this will be your one-stop guide to making good choices on your own bargain hunt - while also delving into the fascinating stories behind many of our favourite antiques.With a foreword from Natasha Raskin Sharp, as well as tips, advice, and stories throughout from each of the show's experts (including 'league tables' of best and worst finds), this is the essential companion to all your future Bargain Hunts!

Hidden away in the back of an old desk drawer was a dusty pile of school-style exercise books. In them were the recollections of a young officer who had fought with the Essex Regiment in the First World War from the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915, through the mud and misery of Ypres, to see victory in 1918. Discovering the memoirs of Lieutenant Robert D'Arblay Gybbon-Monypenny was not the only surprise, what was even more remarkable was how well-written they were, how vividly life and death in the trenches was portrayed.

That life in the trenches saw Robert hit by a sniper's bullet, buried in appalling mud-slides, choked in a chlorine gas attack and almost bayoneted by one of his own men, driven insane by the perpetual shelling. Inevitably, he was wounded as he led his men over the top at Arras, yet somehow he survived.

To add to these riches were letters home from both Robert Moneypenny and his brother, and fellow officer, Phillips, who won the Military Cross with the Royal West Kent Regiment, but who was killed just four months before the end of the war.

The collection of memoirs, letters and personal photographs are woven together to produce a gripping and powerfully frank testimony – one that will come to be recognised as amongst the finest personal accounts of the First World War ever to be published.

This is a comprehensive account of the history of the Second World War, with expert commentary on its political and economic causes, every key moment, and the impact of new technologies and military strategies. It offers moving eyewitness and contemporary accounts from survivors of the battles and conflicts, personally interviewed by the author. It covers every major battle on land, at sea and in the air, with an expert analysis of the events and descriptions of weaponry. It features a chronology of the period that helps put all specific actions of the war into a historical context. It covers 380 contemporary photographs recording incidents as they happened, plus maps and battle plans. World War II was the most immense human conflict the world has ever known. You can discover how the war took shape, from its beginnings with the rise to power of Hitler in the 1930s to its apocalyptic end in the ruined cities of Germany and Japan in 1945. It features eyewitness accounts, maps, battle plans and hundreds of contemporary photographs that bring the past to life.All the major turning points of the war are included - D-Day and the invasion of Normandy, Operation Barbarosa, the battle of Midway and many others. This authoritative and accessible military history will enable the reader to understand the war more fully than ever before.

The Luftwaffe's targetting and destruction of Coventry city remains the biggest and most destructive air raid on British soil during the Second World War. Seen as a centre of British armaments production, the German high command wished to inflict terror and panic on the British public, a plan that had paid dividends during their relentless conquest of France that year. Attacking over two nights in November, 1940 they systematically bombed and destroyed the bulk of the city, making thousands homeless, and killing over 400 men, women and children. Such was the devastation, panic and disorder it wrought, that Winston Churchill ordered a news blackout for three weeks in order to quell the unease and morale-sapping effect that the raid had. But people at the time acted with great bravery to save those trapped in bombed out and burning buildings, as well as caring for those badly injured (of which there were thousands), and fighting the Nazi planes coming in to attack the city itself. Now, for the very first time we interview those veterans who survived the raid and helped fight the flames and bombs to tell the story of this iconic event. Such was the effect it had on the country that when Bomber Command began night time raids against German cities – Hamburg, Cologne and most famously, Dresden – the call 'Remember Coventry!' went up.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL COMPANION TO THE HIT BBC SERIESBBC’s The Repair Shop is a place where Britain’s most skilled and caring craftspeople rescue and resurrect items that owners thought were beyond saving. Their shared love of craft has helped hundreds of people recover and relive cherished memories, and inspired millions to rediscover their own prized possessions. The skill required to properly restore those items may be beyond most of us, but there are small things we can all do to care for the items we love the most. How do you replenish the stuffing in your child’s beloved, tatty teddy bear, for instance? Or remove a water mark left on your wooden table? What’s the best way to prevent your leather from cracking?Direct from the Repair Shop's 'Workshop of Dreams', this ‘make do and mend’ guide collects advice and stories from each of the show’s experts, to help you understand and care for those aging treasures and heirlooms around your house or gathering dust in the garage. Whether it’s wood, ceramics, leather or silverware, you will get to know your materials, tools and terms from Britain’s best, as the Repair Shop experts share their tips on restoring and conserving, reveal their favourite tools, and provide a series of small, manageable projects that help tackle the most common problems that occur in their given medium. Their book, like the show it accompanies, with help you safeguard your sentimental legacy for generations to come.

We all have treasures hidden away in the attic, well-loved and well-worn belongings that have been passed down from generation to generation. They may be damaged or no longer working, but we can't bear to part with them. The expert craftspeople of hit BBC series The Repair Shop are dedicated to restoring and conserving these heirlooms. They know that the true worth of these possessions doesn't lie in their monetary value, but in the memories they hold and the stories they tell.In this fascinating book, you'll step inside The Repair Shop's Workshop of Dreams to explore some of the most moving family stories from the hit BBC series. From a glamorous sequinned dress that belonged to a popular travelling circus performer to a pump organ that was brought from Jamaica by a member of the Windrush generation, each family item is brought vividly to life - and lovingly restored by the team of Repair Shop experts who also contribute to these expanded stories. With a foreword by Jay Blades, Tales from the Workshop of Dreams is a heartfelt love letter to our collective past, and a fascinating slice of social history.This book features items fixed by Repair Shop experts Steve Fletcher, Will Kirk, Lucia Scalisi, Suzie Fletcher, Kirsten Ramsay, Dominic Chinea, Brenton West, Tim Gunn, Sara Dennis, Chris Shaw, Matt Nickels, Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell. With great care and attention to detail, the Repair Shop team resurrect priceless pieces of family history and breathe new life into the stories they hold.

Bargain Hunt is a British institution, entertaining audiences for over 20 years, and encouraging us to look for diamonds in the rough at antique fairs and shops across the country. A Bargain Hunt is more than just a quest for cash, though - from traveller's trunks and tea caddies to walking canes, coins and quirky costumes, each of the items chosen has their own story to tell, forming a small part of our collective social history.The Bargain Hunt Spotter's Guide to Antiques is packed with essential information from the Bargain Hunt experts on identifying quality across a range of antiques. From makers' marks and tell-tale historical styles to details in foils and finials, this will be your one-stop guide to making good choices on your own bargain hunt - while also delving into the fascinating stories behind many of our favourite antiques.With a foreword from Natasha Raskin Sharp, as well as tips, advice, and stories throughout from each of the show's experts (including 'league tables' of best and worst finds), this is the essential companion to all your future Bargain Hunts!

In 1943, there were more than 60 prisoner of war camps throughout Mussolini's Italy. Behind barbed wire and under the guards' dark gaze were captive Allied soldiers. After the Italian Armistice thousands escaped as guards deserted their posts, but when German forces swept down the peninsula to regain control they were left stranded in enemy territory.The Great Italian Breakout tells the remarkable stories of those men scattered across the Italian countryside, whose experiences have been all but forgotten. The luckiest made it to the safety of the Swiss frontier, the Vatican or the Allied Lines, some had a more arduous journey to France or Yugoslavia, and a handful escaped to Spain by boat. The unfortunate died in their quest for freedom, and many chose to stay and join the partisans, fighting a dangerous guerilla war against the German occupiers.Rome was finally liberated by the Allies on 4 June 1944. Two days later, D-Day unfolded. This extraordinary period in the Second World War faded from memory and these remarkable tales of Allied soldiers' survival against all odds in an unfamiliar, hostile landscape remain largely unknown. Using original archival research and interviews with the families of those involved, this book reveals the compelling stories of those on the run and celebrates men who, during the Second World War, took a road less travelled.