Troubador Publishing – förlag

The Close Protection Handbook is built for seasoned professionals, new operatives, training academies, and security enthusiasts. Whether starting your journey or advancing your skills, it supports excellence across government, corporate, private, and commercial protection and security operations. Focused on real-world performance, it strengthens strategic thinking and everyday operational decision-making through practical, proven methods. Success in close protection demands strategy, preparation, and awareness — not just tactics. Inside are 15 expert-driven chapters and 70+ illustrations delivering tested knowledge with no filler. This handbook serves operatives, and anyone drawn to the field, offering insight into what makes a strong Close Protection Operative, Threat and Risk Assessment, Travel Security, Surveillance, and VIP-protection.

Nearly 13,000 years ago, a catastrophic cosmic event wiped out millions of people and animals, plunging the world into a sudden ice age. Humanity struggled to survive.At Göbekli Tepe in present-day southern Turkey, the descendants of those who witnessed this devastation built a monumental stone sanctuary, encoded with symbolic carvings. These structures were not random decorations; they were a sophisticated record of a forgotten global catastrophe. Soon after, agriculture emerged, civilization began, and human history changed forever.In Prehistory Decoded, Dr. Martin Sweatman reveals how ancient people preserved scientific knowledge through monumental architecture and symbolic art. Drawing on evidence from archeoastronomy, the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis, and coherent catastrophism, he shows how early civilizations recorded celestial cycles, solstices, precession, and cosmic threats long before modern science.This groundbreaking book explores:The astronomical significance of Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe The origins of the zodiac and ancient constellationsHow early proto-writing encoded cosmic knowledge The real meaning behind ancient symbols and cave art Why myths of floods and destruction are rooted in real eventsFrom the Lion-Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel to the Great Sphinx of Giza, this book deciphers a hidden code embedded across ancient cultures worldwide. A code that reveals humanity has faced cosmic disasters before and may face them again.Prehistory Decoded challenges conventional views of history and exposes a far more dangerous ancient world than we’ve been taught. It is a compelling, evidence-based exploration of the true origins of civilization, early science, and humanity’s long memory of cosmic catastrophe.

Most strategy is, let’s face it, bullsh*t.A bunch of fancy words which mean nothing at all. At best harmless and easy to ignore. At worst confusing and destructive.What if strategy could instead be clear, simple, bold, and even actually useful? That’s what No Bullsh*t Strategy is all about. It sweeps away all the garbled corporate nonsense and dry academic theorising to leave you with pure strategic sauce, which can be actioned right away.It’ll make you see your business in a totally new light, and effortlessly unlock insights you didn’t know you had in you. Even better, it makes strategy fun.Ideal for the young entrepreneur and accessible to anyone, if you're wanting to demystify strategy and apply it instantly, No Bullsh*t Strategy is the book for you.

A mysterious dream. A man who should not exist. A curse waiting to be broken. Londoner Megan MacKenzie never expected her life to collide with ancient Highland magic – until the night she meets a stranger whose presence feels impossibly familiar. Drawn to him against every instinct, she is pulled into a world of secrets, ghosts, and a destiny she never asked for.Her dreams know him. Her heart recognises him. Now she must uncover the truth of why.As the boundary between the living and the lost begins to blur, Megan must unravel the mystery of the man bound to the darkness and confront the power that has awakened within her.Told in Megan’s haunting, confessional voice, The Diary of Megan MacKenzie is a gripping, emotional gothic fantasy about love, legacy, and the courage to defy fate itself.From the streets of London to the storm-carved cliffs of northern Scotland, this is the story of a woman who learns that sometimes the bravest thing a heart can do… is believe.If you’re drawn to stories of magic, mystery, and unforgettable romance – open the diary.

Have you ever stopped to consider what goes into a painting beyond what you can see? Welcome to a fascinating journey of discovery...The Geometry of the Last Supper skilfully blends the worlds of Renaissance art, geometry and symbolism, allowing the reader to uncover, for the very first time, the simple and delicate geometry at play in the composition of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. Never before has a single and unified solution been proposed to explain the making of the Last Supper.During the Renaissance, symbolic significance was ascribed to geometrical shapes. These symbols, such as those encountered in The Geometry of the Last Supper, have an ancient history, deeply rooted in a tradition that goes back to Pythagoras and beyond. Thanks to them, the geometry presented in this book comes to life as the inner message of the Last Supper is revealed.Once the meaning of the geometry becomes clear, you will be left with the feeling of having been let into a priceless secret. Ideal for any art-lovers or any reader who enjoys looking behind the layers.

When veteran actor Syd Price is dumped from a long-running TV soap, he needs to find a new way forward in a media landscape that he no longer recognises. But when a rising star, model and Instagram sensation, Chloe Anderson, suggests filming a riverside ramble together, what starts as a mutually beneficial partnership turns into a vicious battle of the generations.Infused with music, MADE FOR WALKING is a heartfelt cross-generational story of ageing, modern life, friendship and retribution.

Late 6th century Britain. Regional kingdoms are engaged in a ruthless struggle for supremacy. To the south, Saxon kings predominate but, in the north, British leaders are combining in a final effort to overthrow their two Angle rivals in Deira and Bernicia. To survive, the Angle warlords must put aside their ancient rivalry. Acha, daughter of one king is chosen to act as ‘peace-weaver’ by marrying the rival leader. But when her intended husband kills her father and disinherits her young brother, she has to choose between her lover, her family and her duty to the wider kin. Against a backdrop of military campaigns that decide the shape of northern Britain, this story follows the personal tragedies that force siblings into rival camps. The outcome may be a united kingdom but families will be divided forever.

For high-achieving women who feel disconnected despite their success. You've done everything right. Built the career, ticked the boxes, mastered the art of having it all. So why does it still feel like something is missing? Why do you feel so disconnected from yourself?Awakening the Sleeping Queen reveals why external achievement can never fill an internal void — and shows you how to reclaim what was lost along the way.Drawing on her own midlife transformation from pharmaceutical executive to psycho-spiritual coach, Nathalie Cordell uses the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale as an unexpected map for women's journey to wholeness. Weaving personal storytelling with depth psychology and spiritual wisdom, she guides you through the healing work of integration: befriending your anger, trusting your intuition, and reclaiming the parts of yourself you learned to hide.This isn't another book about leaning in or the seven steps to success. It's an invitation to come home to yourself — not through strategy or framework, but through story and inner work.Because fulfilment isn't waiting for you at the top of another ladder. It's waiting inside you.

An immortal soul. A forgotten curse. A love that rewrites fate.Once a proud Scottish nobleman, Derek Drummond has spent 124 years caught between day and night, hiding from the world — and from himself. A shadow among shadows, he has watched time unravel, love vanish, and hope fade into myth.Until Megan MacKenzie looks at him — and sees more than she should. With haunted eyes and a quiet, stubborn kindness, she stirs the man he used to be. But the past never stays silent. Some curses won’t break. And some ghosts refuse to let go.Told entirely in Derek’s voice — darkly poetic, sardonic, and painfully human — The Diary of Derek Drummond is a gothic fantasy of redemption and reckoning.From the storm-lashed cliffs of northern Scotland to the rain-soaked rooftops of London, it is a story of immortality, forgiveness,and the terrifying hope of being truly seen.If you believe in second chances — even after death — open the diary.

Every age and every culture produce their own particular set of ‘False Gods’ and their associated narratives. Each of these ‘False Gods’ is supported by a whole range of sub-mythologies and ideological delusions that seek to justify, rationalise and normalise the worship of the particular ‘False God’.Setting out to identify Seven of the ‘False Gods’ of modernity, Civilization 21 opens a Pandora’s Box of alternative narratives that challenge the evolving norms of twenty-first century mythologies and delusions. From science to individualism, and progressiveness to human exceptionalism, these modernised mythologies and their associated delusions are fundamental to the structures of our perceived realities.All historical civilizations seem to follow a similar pattern; structured to have a beginning, middle and end. While this may not be an iron law of history, there is no guarantee that our First Global Techno-Scientific Civilization will not follow a similar pattern. In this analysis the end could be near, or we could be on the precipice of unprecedented cultural and ethical progress. Only time will tell.

Throughout history, selling and entertainment have gone hand in hand - from the medieval pedlar and the medicine show, to generations of TV commercials featuring song and dance, comedy, and cartoon animals, right up to today’s celebrities who launch their own multi-million dollar brands. There are good reasons for this; we now understand better than ever before the psychological and sociological reasons why apparent frivolity creates serious business benefits. And yet the advertising business today seems reluctant to embrace its powerful links with popular culture. Misled on one side by managerial myths of rationality and logic, and on the other by a cultish misunderstanding of ‘creativity’, it risks forgetting how to appeal to the public, and how to build successful brands. As a result, evidence suggests, today’s advertising is less liked and less effective than ever before. But it is not too late to reverse this trend. Advertisers and agencies who read this book will rediscover why the pedlar sings, and despite what we’ve all been told, why people do buy from clowns. They will be inspired to make their advertising more popular, more famous, more fun again – and much more effective. ‘This is a fabulous book. ...It is possibly the book I would most highly recommend to anyone in marketing.’ Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman, Ogilvy

A Journey Through Cyprus: History, Memory, and the Search for Reunification. Spanning two centuries, this powerful narrative by Michael Attalides traces the intertwined story of an island and a family. Beginning with the execution of an ancestor by the Ottoman rulers in 1821, the narrative unfolds through colonial subjugation, nationalist struggle, independence, and the enduring trauma of division. As a sociologist, diplomat, and engaged citizen, Attalides offers a unique perspective, both deeply personal and politically insightful, on the modern history of Cyprus. From his boyhood under British rule to the devastation of the 1974 Turkish invasion and his lifelong commitment to the island’s reunification, he reflects on key issues and turning points with clarity, sensitivity, and unflinching honesty. This is more than a memoir. It is a chronicle of transformation: Of a people evolving from subjects of empires into citizens of a republic and, ultimately, European citizens . It is also a testimony to resilience, as Attalides recounts his own exile from his beloved Karpasia and his decades of public service, including his role among “the President’s Men” during efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. With the discerning eye of a sociologist and the clarity of a seasoned diplomat, Attalides paints a compelling portrait of a divided island and the enduring hope for its reunification.

This book covers the period of time during which the Cayman Islands were transformed from an obscure group of three British islands in the Caribbean to the fifth largest financial centre in the world.The transition was the brainchild of the country’s then Minister of Finance, Sir Vassel Johnson, whose book traces the reason for this change and the process by which it was accomplished.It begins with his journey as a young child from Jamaica to Cuba where his parents settled in a Caymanian community on the Isle of Pines (now the Isle of Youth) to make a living by farming. Ten years later the family moved to Grand Cayman where, with the help of Caymanian families who had been their neighbours in the Isle of Pines, they settled and made a home.This was the first time that Vassel and his younger siblings received a formal education and Vassel graduated senior school with distinction within 4 years. On leaving school Vassel went to work with the Cayman Islands Government where he met Rita Hinds, and they were later married and had 7 children.Rita’s family was among the original settlers of Grand Cayman, hailing mainly from the British Isles, and they were hardworking with strong church and community ties. At that time Cayman’s economy was quite poor and apart from a few government jobs, was largely sustained by the earnings of their men who went to sea and worked with the US Merchant Marine. When most of these jobs became redundant with the advent of containerised cargo, the men returned home where few jobs were to be had.This was the turning point in the islands’ history, and resulted in Vassel’s efforts to provide jobs by creating a financial industry that would have spinoffs to support families and the country’s essential services.

Layered Reality is a candid dialogue between a truth seeker, a semi-fictional character who personifies the author, and a highly evolved channelled spirit entity, Zachariah.Zachariah is an aspect of the same soul as the well-known ascended master Djwal Khul channelled by Alice Bailey in the early part of the 20th century. Zachariah and Djwal Khul share the same soul wisdom, however, Zachariah has a more lively and bubbly personality.In the form of a relaxed conversation, this book addresses fundamental questions relating to the nature of existence. The truth seeker and Zachariah cover topics such as the nature of time, causality, the soul, reincarnation, and the spirit realm. Encompassing aspects such as morality and the intersection between science and spirituality, the discussion then turns to more practical issues such as how to live a meaningful life and practice meditation.

All too often, pain in ridden horses is labelled as 'bad' behaviour. The apparently ‘sound’ horse is 'naughty', 'lazy', 'difficult', 'explosive', 'spooky', 'nappy', and more. These labels are wrong. Pain impacts all aspects of a horse's performance, including its partnership with the rider, and its potential to progress. It does not always create lameness. Relieving pain can lead to greater potential, a deeper partnership, and improved performance. In ‘Harmonious Horsemanship: Use of the Ridden Horse Ethogram to Optimise Potential, Partnership and Performance', Sue Dyson and Sue Palmer share their professional knowledge and experience. You will learn how to use a checklist of 24 behaviours to check for musculoskeletal pain in ridden horses. The book includes a gripping mix of research studies, contributions from industry experts, and real-life case studies. Only by first recognising pain can we then address it through accurate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. This book, full of practical tools and backed by solid robust science, teaches you how to use ridden behaviour to recognise the subtle signs of pain, even in horses that appear to be sound. It is for anyone who cares about the horse, whether you are an interested amateur owner or an experienced equestrian professional. Together, we can make the world a better place for horses.

In 1989, Spitfire JK187 and its pilot’s remains are discovered in a bog in southern England. Former WW2 test pilot Peter Thorpe becomes drawn into the recovery, while being troubled by returning memories of a failed mission in 1942 – to the concern of his wife, herself a wartime Spitfire delivery pilot.Thorpe becomes increasingly fixated on confronting his past, endeavouring to write a book about this two-man mission to steal Germany’s superior fighter plane, the Focke-Wulf 190.Meanwhile, in Berlin, as the infamous Wall is being dismantled, Johanna Schreib comes across one of her grandfather’s wartime photographs of an FW.190 – a clue to his hidden past. The emotionally fragile Johanna has a need to know more, but Erich Schreib refuses to cooperate.Airthief interweaves Thorpe’s struggle with his fragmenting mind and Johanna’s quest to uncover her family secrets. From opposite sides of the Channel, they stitch this history together, and as the revelations threaten to engulf both families, Johanna journeys to England to uncover the truth – ultimately bringing the two old foes together and laying to rest the ghost of Spitfire JK187.

The story of folate (vitamin B9) is one of outstanding achievements which have advanced major areas of medical practice and also of scandals of international significance.Folate was the only one of the 13 vitamins to have been discovered by a woman, Lucy Wills. She showed in1931 that the yeast extract Marmite could cure the anaemia of pregnant women in Bombay. The vitamin, first isolated from spinach, was subsequently shown not only to correct anemia but also to prevent the birth of babies with the severe defect spina bifida. The first effective anti-bacterial drugs and anti-cancer drugs were anti-folates.The scandals in the story of folate include the opposition, mainly by men, to women becoming doctors, the lack of any public recognition of Lucy Wills’s achievements, the vicious treatment the British Government gave to Waldemar Haffkine who had made for them the world’s first two anti-bacterial vaccines and saved millions of lives, and the incorrect use of folic acid to treat pernicious anaemia leading to irreversible paralysis.The most significant scandal, the failure of worldwide fortification of the diet with folic acid. This catastrophe allows thousands of babies to be born each year with the major birth defect spina bifida ,which could be prevented by this cheap, safe public health measure, already mandated for in over 80 countries, in North America since 1998.

Welcome to Lagos. Lagos’s combo of grit and (chaos) is bound to mesmerize all those keen to explore its vibrant culture, intense parties, charismatic souls, rich history and fabulous food. Lagos, one of the world’s most populous cities with over 18 million inhabitants, often gets overlooked – this guide exposes the mystery, the charm and all that Lagos has to offer to the bold traveler looking to immerse themselves in a truly African experience. This travel guide showcases Lagos’ soul, sights, and tastemakers in a new, upbeat and positive light. Visit Lagos smartly and safely with this Lagos travel guide that simulates the lifestyle of a true local.  Lagos Travel Guide is a personal, honest and engaging perspective of the wondrous city from the eyes of the top changemakers. This guide will serve as your handbook to help you build a bond with the heartbeat of Africa.  From one of Nigeria’s most highly recognised travel writers “Funke Ogunkoya-Futi”, this is the definitive book on visiting Lagos, Nigeria.

This debut novel is a Literary Titan Book Award WinnerAs Imperial Rome forges its empire upon the ashes of war, its provinces feverish with religion, ambition and a thirst for power compete in the shadows without conscience. Save for one. An adopted Jew of a long dead son of Rome who is playing a dangerous game. Driven by a vision he is certain is the future if he does not act, he is forced to make an unlikely alliance. An alliance that is fated to bring unwelcome attention. Not all those seeking prominence in Rome are men.At great personal cost, a provincial governor and his unwitting sons will be caught in the middle. Cassius will choose for vengeance, the ripples of his actions destined to echo across time. His brother Justus will seek the safety of obscurity. Their only allies are Caeso, a haruspex and long-time friend of their father, and Hector, a forgotten hero of the Tenth Legion. And the only clues in their search for the truth, and possibly their only hope for salvation? The discovery of a secret that could start a war!To see, hear and feel more, copy and paste LUIGI A KOHLI'S ALETHEIA CINEMATIC BOOK TRAILER into your search engine...

BOOK ONE OF THE ILLBORN SAGA Long ago, The Lord Aiduel emerged from the deserts of the Holy Land, possessed with divine powers. He used these to forcibly unite the peoples of Angall, before His ascension to heaven. Over eight hundred years later, in a medieval world which is threatened by war and religious persecution, four young men and women begin to develop supernatural abilities. These forbidden and secret powers will shatter the lives that they have known, and will force each of them to confront the mystery of the ethereal Gate which haunts their dreams. What does the dream mean, and how is it connected to their burgeoning abilities? As they experience conflict, love, lust and betrayal, in lands which are being overtaken by war, they must try to stay ahead of and to survive the sinister forces which are now pursuing them. For they are being hunted… Illborn is Daniel T. Jackson’s powerful and gritty debut novel, and is the thrilling opening chapter in the epic fantasy story of The Illborn Saga.

Winter, 1939. Edna and Lucy, along with new-born babies Jack and Lily, return to London during the war to a world gone mad. Forced to live underground, sleeping on the dark and dingy platforms of the Underground, they emerge each day to be confronted by bombed-out houses, already picked over by looters, spivs, black market traders and swindlers. When the war ends, Lucy, a bright and ambitious woman, seizes the opportunities that their changed society now offers. Meanwhile, Edna remains rooted in the old beliefs of kinship and community. Struggling to overcome the trauma of five years of conflict and unable to come to terms with her separation from her husband, Edna worries that life will never be the same again. Robbed of their childhood by the war, Jack, Lily and her younger brother George attempt to forge their own definitions of normality. When as a teenager Lily discovers a scrap of paper in the lining of a classy cashmere coat gifted to her from the American Red Cross, she jumps at the opportunity to follow its trail, which leads her to a famous poet and a chance to reclaim her place in a broken world. See Out the Crazy Times shares the stories of five people whose lives have been changed forever by the war. It is a life-affirming story, bitter-sweet, filled with laughter, anger and hope, that will appeal to readers who enjoy fiction about the second world war and its aftermath.

When Emily’s mother becomes dangerously ill again, in this sequel to ‘Tolly and the Pirate Ghost’,Emily and the twins, Laura and Harry, time travel with Tobias, the pirate ghost, and his parrot, Tolly, to a tropical island in the year 1660. Their goal is to find the legendary Medicine Tree said to cure any illness, but there are thousands of trees on the island. How can they possibly find the right one? Tobias is reassuring but mysteriously disappears with Tolly, shortly after their arrival, leaving the children to fend for themselves under a scorching sun, with little to eat or drink and no means of getting home. Their problems multiply when they realise a band of ruthless pirates is also hunting for the Tree, and will stop at nothing to gain the prize and make their fortune. Time is running out to save Emily’s mother and dangers press in on all sides. As the situation becomes desperate, the children start to quarrel and then to lose hope. More complications arise and their spirits are in turn raised and then dashed. Can they think of some means of escape or will they be trapped forever on a tropical island hundreds of years in the past?

Two girls dreading the start of the new school year: two years earlier, one had boasted to her friends that she’d had an a air with a teacher, who had subsequently left. Now, to the girls’ dismay, he is unexpectedly returning.Another girl, by the sea, in her room or garden at home, struggling with an impossible love that captivated her during her participation in the school’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.A man labouring tirelessly to transform a huge, sloping field above a lychgate into a paradise garden. A woman sitting in her son’s garden, contemplating the sun sinking into the Southern Ocean.What connects these random moments in disparate lives into a poignant, coherent whole?

An ending can always be a new beginning...When her husband dies, the bottom falls out of Jessica's world. Disconnected and lost in her everyday life, she's stunned when she discovers a letter from Nick, her beloved husband, urging her to return to a place they both loved: Southern Spain, to the boating community that feels more like a family. Desperate to follow his wishes and to find herself again, Jessica travels to Spain alone. There she encounters some of the most amazing souls who will chart a course for different seas, more different than she ever imagined.    Oblivious of the unchartered waters in her path and the tsunami of emotions heading her way, Jessica must now take the lessons she can learn from each of these men. Could her deep-rooted connections be enough to get her through more heartache and a twisted plot, to survive the emotional rollercoaster ahead, or will she cling to the anchor of her past and be set adrift forever?

The range of the book: from wartime England to colonial Assam; from sapper training in India to jungle warfare in Malaya – Tea, Love and War tells the unique true story of the child of an exploited village woman gaining recognition and acceptance in suburban England. It is split into three parts: Stuart and Mary’s story, David’s story, and Ann’s story.Stuart, working on a tea estate in the jungles of Assam, fathers a child by a teenage native woman. Stuart’s letters to his family in pre-war England vividly describe his life as a planter in colonial India but conceal his secret love life. When war breaks out, Stuart joins the Indian army, trains as a sapper and is posted to Malaya, blowing bridges in the desperate rearguard action against the Japanese invasion. Back in wartime England, his sister Mary marries Stuart’s best friend, Arthur, who decides to train as an army officer. Mary, now a young mother pregnant with her second child, tells of the year’s delay in hearing news of her brother’s death at the fall of Singapore. Before the child is born, she learns that Arthur has been killed in action in Italy. The story switches to a jungle village in Assam where a small Anglo-Indian child named Ann fights her way through poverty and discrimination, always seeking the identity of her father and his family.Tea, Love and War is a gripping true story, narrated by Mary through her son David. “Much of the text is taken from the many exercise books that she filled with her memories, and whilst my investigations have expanded and updated her story, the history of the relevant elements of the Second World War, the Blitz and public perception of the Malayan campaign leading to the fall of Singapore are more eloquently seen from her individual viewpoint.” The book will appeal to fans of autobiographies, history and social history – Anglo-Indian culture and exploitation of women in India are key themes in the text – and has been inspired by Wild Swans.

BOOK THREE OF THE ILLBORN SAGA ONLY ONE CAN CLAIM THE POWER.After the four Illborn have remembered their recurring dream in full, each of them must decide what they are going to do with their newfound knowledge.On the island of Abass, Arion and Leanna must both choose between a return to Angall, and a dangerous journey into the war-torn Holy Land. In Andar, as Allana continues her ascent to power, she begins a deadly game of cat and mouse with Aiduel’s Guards and the Archlaw. And in Bergen, Corin must decide whether he needs to leave his homeland to pursue and to kill the others of his kind.As their powers continue to grow, will fate draw the four together? And if so, are the dire prophecies of the Illborn destined to come true?Gatebound is the thrilling third and penultimate instalment of The Illborn Saga, the acclaimed epic fantasy series by Daniel T. Jackson.

BOOK TWO OF THE ILLBORN SAGA How does the opportunity ever arise for one person to alter the destiny of a world? As the nations of Angall move closer to a Holy War, the four Illborn are to face momentous challenges, while seeking answers about who they are and what their growing powers mean. After Arion and Allana are drawn to opposing sides in the coming conflict, their mutual obsession threatens to bring ruin to them both. In Arlais, Leanna finds herself a target of both the Holy Church and of the killers who are closing in on her. And in Karn, Corin must respond to a deadly new peril, whilst coping with the devastating aftermath of the attack on his wife. How will the choices and actions of the four shape each of their destinies? Only this much is certain; the mysteries of the Gate and of their dreams still await them, and there will be no peace for the Illborn. Aiduel’s Sin is the thrilling and emotive second instalment of The Illborn Saga, the acclaimed epic fantasy series by Daniel T. Jackson.

Major Thomas Falcon Hazell DSO, MC, DFC and bar, Britain and Ireland’s most successful fighter ace to survive the Great War, is one of the unsung heroes who out-fought Herman Göring's Jasta and duelled with Ernst Udet, second only to Baron von Richthofen himself.Firsthand graphic accounts from those who fought alongside Hazell bring alive the full horror, mixed with elation, of the lethal dog-fights above the Somme. These are interposed with family and other matters in the west of Ireland and his growing up during a crucial period in 20th century Irish history. Retiring from the RAF in 1927 after action in Iraq and the Northwest Frontier, Hazell was instrumental in the formation of the Irish Aluminium Co. Ltd which became one of the largest manufacturing enterprises in an independent state.To set the story in its historic context and as a background to Hazell’s career, The Life and Times of Major Thomas Falcon Hazell DSO, MC, DFC and Bar explores the build-up to the First World War, raises the issue of why the war started in the first place and reviews its aftermath, echoing past history through to the present day.

“Don Quixote” is often regarded as the greatest novel ever written. It has been translated into many languages, made into films and a musical, and has never been out of print for over 400 years.The often-eccentric approach to life on the part of its hero, has even given rise to the expression “Quixotic” and his bizarre antagonism; “tilting at windmills” is a well understood expression in the English language.What has been overlooked in the many adventures of the Knight Don Quixote and his peasant squire, Sancho, is that there were four characters in these adventures. The horse, so rudely named “Rocinante”, was, in fact, very well bred and it was on one of his forefathers that El Cid rode into battle. Pancho’s donkey, which was doubtless an Andalusian and sadly now very rare, carried not only Pancho but all the baggage as well.In this retelling of their famous adventures some of their escapades are seen anew through the eyes of the Horse and the Donkey, while others are told for the first time.